OBAMA
VISITS
IOWA
Check dailyiowan.com today for live updates from the president’s visit to Quad Cities.
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011
Pawlenty lists Iowa legislators who back him GOP presidental-nomination candidate Tim Pawlenty named 10 Iowa legislators to his Iowa Legislative Steering Committee on Monday, according to a campaign press release. Among the lawmakers is Sen. Shawn Hamerlinck, R-Dixon, who has come under fire for his June comments to Iowa student lobbyists, telling the students at the Statehouse to leave the “political circus” to the Legislature. Rep. Erik Helland, R-Johnston, is the Majority Whip in the Iowa House and is the state director of Pawlenty’s campaign. “I am fortunate to have this talented group of legislators on my team,” Pawlenty said in the release. “Their experience and knowledge combined with their eagerness to restore American prosperity bolsters my Iowa campaign’s efforts to build successful coalitions in this important state.” Pawlenty also chose Rep. Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, the current chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight. Other legislators in the Iowa Legislative Steering Committee are Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull; Rep. Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf; Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley; Rep. Chip Baltimore, RBoone; Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola; and Rep. Steve Lukan, R-Dubuque. — by Ariana Witt
Locals to oppose Obama Group hopes to bring national health insurance and withdrawal from Afghanistan to forefront of 2012 race.
Obama issues disaster declaration for 6 Iowa counties President Obama authorized a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for six Iowa counties affected by flooding along the Missouri River Monday, according to a press release from Gov. Terry Branstad’s office. Branstad received notice of Obama’s decision Monday. According to the release, the president’s declaration will provide federal funds for Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, and Woodbury Counties. This marks the 12th presidential disaster declaration in the state since March 2007. “I am pleased to see the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for these six counties came through,” Branstad said in the release. “As we are still actively fighting the flood, this declaration provides a much needed financial boost to our local governments.” The disaster declaration will also fund conducting hazard-mitigation projects for all of Iowa, which would minimize the effect of future natural disasters. — by Ariana Witt
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Medics carry a Marine who was overcome by heat exhaustion to a medical-evacuation helicopter in the Nawa district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province on July 6, 2009. President Obama plans to end U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014, but an Iowa City chapter of Health Care Not Warfare is pushing for a more immediate exit.
By LINDSAY DOUGLAS lindsay-douglas@uiowa.edu
Organizers in Iowa City are frustrated at President Obama’s war record and are organizing caucus delegates to push for a quicker end to the war in Afghanistan. With the group Health Care Not Warfare, University of Iowa history Professor Jeff Cox is spearheading that movement by recruiting volunteers to act as precinct coordinators who will attend 2012 Iowa caucuses and persuade uncommitted delegates to stand up for national health-care insurance and peace in Afghanistan. Cox said he is not particularly committed to anyone but said Obama has been promising to get troops out of Afghanistan since he’s been in office,and it hasn’t happened.
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By LUKE VOELZ luke-voelz@uiowa.edu Spotlight 2 Sports 10
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Health Care not Warfare Caucus Campaign holds a meeting in the Iowa City Public Library on Monday. The campaign intends to elect delegates at the 2012 Iowa caucuses who support health care for all and back withdrawing all American forces from Afghanistan.
IC Public Library gives McCallum local literacy a free ride runs again The Iowa City Public Library’s circulation totaled 1,525,831 in fiscal 2010.
INDEX
“One more death is one unnecessary death,” said Cox. He said the money-less and staff-less campaign is one of two in Iowa that will be devoted to providing an alternative to a renomination of Obama. The group plans to hold monthly meetings until the caucuses to ensure their success. The other group is focused on corporate money, family farming, and environmental issues but hasn’t decided on a name. “Everybody knows he’s going to be re-elected,” Cox said. “The real alternative is to give people the opportunity to talk about the direction of our country.” Attendees at Monday’s meeting agreed. “If you’re a loyal Democrat with a big ‘D’
City bus tickets are facing a cheaper, plastic alternative: library cards. Iowa City Public Library officials said the library’s Ride & Read program, which allows library cardholders a free ride to the library on city buses, has increased in popularity since its founding in 2007, along with circulation. The program has helped ele-
mentary-school students keep their minds sharp over the long summer months, said Heidi Lauritzen, the Public Library circulation services director. “A lot of education studies out there show that if kids don’t read over summer, the progress they made in classrooms over the school year before slips a lot,” she said. “If they continue to read, that helps them be ready to start their next grade.” Library patron Adriana Mendez, who rides the bus daily using a bus pass, said the program would help Iowa City’s literacy while also supporting public transportation. “I think it’s a great idea to get people more invested in reading,” she said. “This is a fairly literate community, but more people should still be coming to
their library. It’s an incentive to both ride the bus and read.” Mason City High School student Sam Vrieze said she agrees. “It’s a good idea,” she said. “More people would probably come to the library.” Summer typically brings the library’s busiest months, Lauritzen said, due to the number of summer camps and youth-targeted reading activities. Winter comes as a close second because of the academic rush around finals weeks. These circulation trends have remained steady despite a digital-book industry that brought almost $300 million in revenue over 2010, a 30-fold increase from five previous years, according to an International Digital Publishing Forum survey. SEE READ AND RIDE, 2
The candidate says Iowa City needs leadership focused on expanding the city’s tax base. By ZACHARY POUND zachary-pound@uiowa.edu
Local developer Mark McCallum announced his candidacy for Iowa City City Council Monday with plans to improve housing and historical preservation. The 24-year resident of Iowa City said he Mark McCallum plans to focus on diversi- Council Candidate fying downtown housing with multi-famSEE MCCALLUM, 3