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PACG Book Club for May 2020 - Sherlock Holmes

4/25/2020

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PACG Book Club - Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Monday, May 18th at 5:30 pm via Zoom

​The PACG Book Club will meet in May via Zoom, using Alta Price’s Zoom license. Contact her if you need instructions on how to use Zoom. Also, please RSVP to Alta to let her know you are coming so she can send you a special invitation (by email) from inside the Zoom meeting in case you have trouble joining the meeting.

Click on Alta Price to RSVP or with questions. 

The PACG Book Club is reading selected stories from Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We will also discuss the documentary “How Sherlock Changed the World,” which is available for free on Amazon Prime. The film interviews modern day forensic scientists about the impact the Sherlock Holmes stories had on the development of our modern methods of crime scene investigation.

Reading selections:

The Sherlock Holmes - the Ultimate Collection kindle book is available for 99 cents. It is very lengthy, but includes all of the Sherlock Holmes stories and novellas, in order of publication.  Feel free to choose your own version, as long as it includes the stories below. We are choosing selections that pair nicely with the documentary. The stories are:
  • A Study In Scarlet  - because it is referenced in the documentary 
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia  - this one was the actual first story that Conan Doyle got published about Holmes (it was re-published in this book again later) 
  • The Memoirs of Sherlock Homes - the Final Problem  - Conan Doyle kills off his detective in this story so that the author could write other books he was more interested in
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles - due to public outrage over the loss of their hero, Holmes, Doyle revives his detective
  • The Return of Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Empty House - Doyle explains what happened at the Reichenbach Falls in the Final Problem

The documentary:

"How Sherlock Changed the World" has two episodes, each about 55 minutes in length. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can watch them for free. If not, they cost $2.99 apiece. I also found them free at PBS, although I think that is only if you contribute a certain amount to Public TV. Again, contact Alta if you have trouble finding the documentary. 

We will discuss both the book and the documentary, but if you don’t have time to read and watch, feel free to join the discussion anyway. 

Click on Alta Price to RSVP or with questions. 
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PACG Supports the Protect Iowa Workers Statement

4/21/2020

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PACG signs on to Protect Iowa Workers

A Message to our Membership

PACG has signed on to the Protect Iowa Workers statement to join a broad coalition of Iowans calling on the Iowa Governor, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa OSHA to protect the safety of Iowa's workers during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

This statement is part of a larger campaign to protect Iowa's workers, including immigrants and refugees. Various organizations are raising awareness of the fear reported from people who are concerned about their safety in their workplaces, and the health of their families and communities.

Together we hope to increase worker safety and protection.

Allison Ambrose, President
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What You Can Do Now - Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form in the Mail

4/21/2020

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Look for Your Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form

Civil Rights Forum

Absentee Ballot Voting in Iowa for June Primary Election

On March 31st, the Des Moines Register reported that, due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office will mail every registered voter in Iowa an absentee ballot request form before the state’s June 2nd primary. The State is encouraging voters to consider voting by mail so that the virus will not be spread among polling site workers and residents. In addition, the early voting period for mail-in ballots has been extended.

If you haven't received your request form in the US Mail by May 5th, contact your County Auditor's Office. Read much more in our Blog Post.

Contact the PACG Webmaster with questions.
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What You Can Do Now - Earth Day Action Steps

4/21/2020

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Earth Day Action Steps - Wednesday, April 22nd

Environmental Forum

This year we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22nd.

You can celebrate Earth Day in many ways:
  1. Sing “I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet” or another earth-based song.
  2. Go for a walk and notice what you see, hear, smell, and feel.
  3. Clean out your old toxic household supplies and stock up on non-toxic cleaners.
  4. Cook a plant-based dinner.
  5. Make cloth grocery bags from some old t-shirts. Patterns can be found online.
  6. Write a letter or postcard to your local, state and federal political leaders about an environmental issue.
  7. Pick a national or state park you plan to visit this summer.
  8. Teach your kids about an endangered species or learn more yourself.
  9. Make a pledge to reduce single-use plastics.
  10. Check your voter registration status: http://www.nass.org/can-I-vote​

Lori McCollum
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What You Can Do Now - Celebrate Earth Week Virtually

4/21/2020

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Virtual Earth Week Celebration - Wednesday, April 22nd

Environmental Forum

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PACG-sponsored celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day has been postponed to July. As we’re waiting for the pandemic crisis to pass, the climate crisis continues and we need to continue to help the earth heal. There are virtual Earth Day events that are happening you can participate in at your convenience.
  • “The Story of Plastic” will be televised globally on Discovery Channel on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd, at 1 pm CDT (check your local listings). Additional virtual showings are being arranged, and will be announced on our Environmental Forum Facebook page. Join us for a virtual Happy Hour on Friday, April 24th at 5 pm to discuss actions we can take locally to reduce/eliminate the use of single-use plastic. Click here to RSVP.
  • PACG is sponsoring the April 22nd Earth Day Rally hosted by Environment Iowa. Visit IowaVirtualEarthDay to register now.
  • The Team Sierra is bringing their Earth Day celebration from outdoors to indoors. To register for their events go to: teamsierra.org/everycorner
For additional virtual Earth Week events, visit our blog at pacgqc.org/blog/online-earth-week-activities.

Susan Leuthauser
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Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day - A Message to Our Membership

4/21/2020

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We Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!!

A Message to Our Membership

Hello Progressives!

Wednesday, April 22nd is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!

Our Environmental Forum has worked hard all year to make this anniversary a special event. Unfortunately, the live events will not be occurring as planned, but the forum has made sure that we do have some virtual ways to celebrate. Look for details in today's newsletter.  

I want to give a SHOUT OUT to the Environmental Forum for all they have done to help us remember how precious our planet is.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Allison Ambrose, President
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A Message to Our Members - Protecting Iowa Workers

4/19/2020

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​PACG Signs On to Protect Workers

A Message to Our Members​

Protect the Lives and Safety of All Iowa Workers

Right now in Iowa’s fields, factories, and warehouses, in our hospitals, nursing homes, post offices, grocery stores, and beyond, thousands of Iowans are risking their lives to provide food, health care, and other essential services while facing high risks of exposure to COVID-19 in their workplaces. 
 
For weeks, workers, labor unions, advocates, and the media have been reporting unsafe working conditions to employers and state agencies. But state leaders have refused to set any clear expectations for Iowa employers, and OSHA and other state agencies charged with protecting workers have been missing in action. Meanwhile, too many major Iowa businesses continue to operate with few or no safety measures in place.
 
We know that existing racial and economic inequities in our communities are exacerbated by this pandemic, and temp workers, low wage workers, workers of color, and immigrant and refugee workers are at particular risk. While workers have the right to report unsafe working conditions, many have reason to fear retaliation. Those brave enough to come forward too often find their reports falling on deaf ears.
 
We are already seeing the impact of unsafe working conditions, with multiple meatpacking and manufacturing plants shutting down due to the quick spread of COVID-19 among unprotected workers. We cannot afford to wait. We demand that our state leaders take immediate action and direct all Iowa employers to protect workers from further unnecessary exposure.

We call on Governor Kim Reynolds to protect the lives and safety of all Iowa workers by:
 
1.  Immediately requiring all Iowa employers to follow federal CDC and OSHA guidance on steps to take to prevent workplace exposure. 
 
  At a minimum, steps must include:
  • Ceasing all non-essential operations and providing paid leave or access to unemployment benefits for affected workers.
  • Allowing employees who can work from home to do so.
  • Encouraging sick workers to stay home with pay, and eliminating barriers (i.e. doctor’s notes, discipline for absences) to taking sick leave.
  • Improving ventilation (e.g., increasing ventilation rates, installing high-efficiency air filters, negative pressure ventilation in certain settings).
  • Installing physical barriers (e.g., clear plastic sneeze guards).
  • Maintaining six feet or more between workers by moving workstations, slowing line speeds, or staggering shifts.
  • Arranging for staggered or longer break times so workers can maintain a distance of six feet during all breaks or meals.
  • Providing adequate sanitation supplies (soap, towels, gloves, sanitizers) and a clean working environment.
  • Ensuring that all work surfaces are kept clean and sanitized as often as needed.
  • Allowing easy and frequent access to bathrooms or hand washing stations, and providing workers with regular breaks to wash hands. 
  • Allowing workers to wash hands upon arriving to work/entering the workplace, and ensuring full pay for all required preparation and clean-up time
  • Providing frequent, up-to-date education and training on COVID-19, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitation procedures, or other relevant safety measures, in workers’ preferred languages.
  • Offering hazard pay and/or bonuses to all essential workers.
 
2.  Ensuring all exposed workers access to medical care and emergency assistance, regardless of health insurance coverage or immigration status. 
 
3.  Directing Iowa Workforce Development to provide workers’ compensation to workers who contract COVID-19 at their workplaces.
 
4.  Meeting with workers, self-employed, and independent contractors from essential industries to hear about the conditions they face and work with them to develop additional response plans specific to their industries, to be communicated to employers and workers in their preferred languages. 
 

We are in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis. Failure to act is putting our workers, our food supply, and our state’s economy at severe, unnecessary risk. We call on Governor Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa OSHA to stand up for the dignity, safety and health of our neighbors and families and take immediate action by meeting with workers and directing Iowa’s business to take immediate and decisive steps to protect our state’s workforce from COVID-19.


 As of April 18th 65 organizations have signed this petition.

Allison Ambrose
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What You Can Do Now - Look for Your Absentee Ballot Request Form

4/18/2020

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Look for Your Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form


Civil Rights Forum

Absentee Ballot Voting in Iowa for June Primary Election

On March 31st, the Des Moines Register reported that, due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office will mail every registered voter in Iowa an absentee ballot request form before the state’s June 2nd primary. The State is encouraging voters to consider voting by mail so that the virus will not be spread among polling site workers and residents. In addition, the early voting period for mail-in ballots has been extended.

To further clarify this information, I spoke to Roxanna Moritz, the Scott County Iowa Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, this week. She emphasizes that every active voter in the state will receive an absentee ballot request. If you have not received your form by May 5th, contact your county auditor’s office to request one (see phone numbers below).
 
Iowa's June 2 primary is scheduled to go forward as planned, but Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is encouraging Iowans to vote by mail to reduce the spread of the virus. Last week, Pate extended the early voting period for mailed ballots to 40 days, up from 29. That means Iowans will be able to cast mailed ballots beginning on April 23.

 
"The safety of voters while casting their ballots is our top priority," Pate said in a news release. "The June 2 primary election will go on as scheduled because it’s important for Iowans to make their voices heard by voting. The safest way to vote will be by mail."

Iowans who receive the request forms will need to return them to their county auditor in order to receive an actual absentee ballot. When the time comes, voters will have to fill out and mail back their ballots.

The ballot request form requires Iowans to fill out information like their name, date of birth and address, an ID number, and whether they want to vote in a Democratic or Republican primary. 

"We don’t just blindly mail out ballots to people who don’t request them. That’s like mailing out blank checks. There have to be security provisions in place to ensure the integrity of the vote," said Kevin Hall, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office.

Iowa's primary will feature competitive races for federal and state legislative offices. At the federal level, Democrats will choose a nominee to face off against Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King also faces several challengers in the 4th Congressional District primary. – Des Moines Register, March 31st


Moritz expressed her concerns regarding moving to all mail-in voting by November to the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

As much as she prefers an all-mail primary, Scott County Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz doesn’t think there is time to pull it off correctly. “We want to move to a vote-by-mail state, but do it right,” Moritz said. “There are so many things to address and doing it in a hurried fashion and making any mistakes could give cause as to why not do vote-by-mail.”

She’s not sure it would even be possible to make the changes needed to conduct the Nov. 3 general election by mail.

Another challenge may be staffing those polling places. Many poll workers come from the ranks of older Iowans, so Pate has made a poll worker recruitment push to encourage people not in COVID-19 high-risk categories to step up.

So far, auditors report that only a few poll working stalwarts have bowed out of the primary…

Eligible Iowans who have not registered to vote or updated their registration have until May 22 to preregister to ensure the absentee ballot request form goes to the correct address. For information on Election Day registration, visit the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

 
Ms. Moritz is readily available to answer questions for her constituents at rmoritz@scottcountyiowa.com. She also keeps her Facebook page current with pertinent voting information and is available through her personal cell phone at 563-370-3915. She expressed her concern about making sure that residents get correct information about voting during this unusual time.

Iowa County Auditors' Offices:
Clinton County - 563-244-0568
Muscatine County - 563-263-5821
Scott County - 563-326-VOTE
 
Request an absentee ballot here and mail it to your county auditor.

Iowans can check to see if they are registered to vote here. 

Download and print off a State of Iowa Official Voter Registration form. Mail your registration to your County Auditor’s office. Use this link to find the address of your County Auditor. You may also register to vote online.

Contact the PACG Webmaster with questions.
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Message from the Board About PPE Posts

4/16/2020

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Posts About Coronavirus and PPE

A Message from the PACG Board of Directors

We continue to receive WEU submissions and Facebook posts regarding novel coronavirus PPE (personal protective equipment), such as making masks. We feel that it is not our place to post these items. Pandemic prevention, treatment and protection fall into areas outside the scope of the issues our forums are working on. We are not qualified to evaluate the safety of one mask over another, nor should we make medical recommendations of this nature, as there is liability in the sharing of misleading or incorrect information. In addition, there are plenty of resources available elsewhere for our members. However, we will share pandemic information that is relevant to our community because of an issue one of our forums is working on. Thank you for understanding this policy. 

Contact Alta Price, MD with questions or concerns.
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What You Can Do Now - ACA Enrollment After Job Loss Due to the Pandemic

4/16/2020

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Letter to the Editor - Important Update
Regarding ACA Enrollment After Job Loss

Health Care Reform Forum

On behalf of, and with the approval of, the PACG Health Care Reform Forum, I submitted the letter that follows to the local QC newspapers, and it was published on Saturday, April 11. My involvement with PACG was duly noted. If you know of anyone who has lost his/her job and associated health insurance, please bring the potential assistance that might be available at healthcare.gov to his/her attention.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are losing their jobs.  Those with employer-provided health insurance may also be losing that coverage at the worst possible time: leaving them with potentially no income and, if they become ill, no insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) offers them valuable resources.  

Iowa and Illinois residents in that situation may be able to get insurance on the federal ACA Marketplace.  They may also qualify for a premium subsidy or for coverage under Medicaid. The website healthcare.gov allows them to explore their options.  It is important to note that they have a 60-day window after losing their employment in which to apply.

Although some insurers have waived some consumer costs of coronavirus treatment, such costs can still be very high, especially if hospitalization is required; moreover, other health care issues (broken leg, appendicitis) may still arise.  Having good health insurance is essential.

The coronavirus pandemic has made us acutely aware of how important it is for all Americans to have access to good health care. The Affordable Care Act has already provided health insurance for millions of uninsured families, and it is there for many of us who need the coverage now.  Our people need our government to uphold that law, not seek its overthrow in the courts.

One of the lessons we must learn from this terrible time is that good health care coverage needs to be strengthened and expanded to cover everyone, in good times as well as bad.

Karen Metcalf, Co-facilitator
Health Care Reform Forum
Progressive Action for the Common Good
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