PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good - Blog

Message from our President about PACG Membership

9/15/2026

A Message from our President about PACG membership

Greetings everyone! It's been an interesting (busy!) year, hasn't it?

One thing your intrepid board members and a couple of other volunteers have been working on has been to figure out what being a member (or perhaps Member, with a capital M) of PACG could and should mean. As announced at the picnic this past Sunday, we will be sending out a survey for people to give us their thoughts and ideas in the near future, so please keep an eye out for it.

David Anderson (he/him)

Express your concerns about Flock to your city council - Action Alert

9/15/2026

Please visit your city council and comment

QC Locations

Get the Flock Out QC

Please join the following city council meetings to submit a public comment on your desire to end their contract with Flock, or support those doing so. More information is available here.

Next city council meetings:
September 15, 6:00PM: Moline, 619 16th ST (map)
September 15, 7:00PM: Bettendorf, 1609 State ST (map)
September 21, 6:30PM: East Moline, 915 16th AV (map)
September 22, 6:00PM: Moline, 619 16th ST (map)
September 23, 5:30PM: Davenport, 226 W 4th ST (map)

David Anderson (he/him)

Women's Equality Day rally After Action Report

9/2/2026

Women's Equality Day rally After Action Report

Gender Equity Forum

About one hundred people gathered at the Women's Equality Day rally in Vander Veer Park in Davenport on August 26th to commemorate the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote and to bring attention to the SAVE Act that would take the right away from millions of them. Watch this video from WQAD to learn more about the rally and the SAVE Act.

Alta Price (she/her)

September 2026 Book Club - The House of Spirits

8/30/2026

The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Monday, September 21st at 5:15 pm

Edwards Congregational UCC
3420 Jersey Ridge Rd
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Book Club

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), we will read The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende for our September 21st discussion. The book is long, so start reading now!

Contact me for the link if you want to come via Zoom.

Alta Price (she/her)

Read more about The House of Spirits at Goodreads:

"In one of the most important and beloved Latin American works of the twentieth century, Isabel Allende weaves a luminous tapestry of three generations of the Trueba family, revealing both triumphs and tragedies. Here is patriarch Esteban, whose wild desires and political machinations are tempered only by his love for his ethereal wife, Clara, a woman touched by an otherworldly hand. Their daughter, Blanca, whose forbidden love for a man Esteban has deemed unworthy infuriates her father, yet will produce his greatest joy: his granddaughter Alba, a beautiful, ambitious girl who will lead the family and their country into a revolutionary future."

"The House of the Spirits is an enthralling saga that spans decades and lives, twining the personal and the political into an epic novel of love, magic, and fate."

Red Sand Project After Action Report

8/26/2026

Red Sand Project After Action Report

AAUW of Davenport/Bettendorf

The Association of University Women (AAUW) of Davenport/Bettendorf organized an event on August 11th at Leach Park in Bettnedorf so that residents here could participate in The Red Sand Project. This movement uses red sand poured into sidewalk cracks to symbolize victims of human trafficking and slavery worldwide who have "fallen through the cracks." We participated locally to raise awareness of human trafficking in our state.

David Anderson (he/him)

September Green Drinks - BESS 101

8/26/2026

Green Drinks - Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) 101
Thursday, September 10th at 6 pm via Zoom

Environmental Forum

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are coming to the Quad Cities. Get the facts on what impacts BESS may have on our community. Join the virtual discussion with a panel of experts. Register and receive a Zoom link by scanning the QR code or clicking here. (Note: Due to the Labor Day holiday, we are meeting the second week of September. Because we are working with other groups on this presentation, the time is later than usual for Green Drinks.)

Susan Leuthauser (she/her)

Leaving MAGA a QCCC presentation

8/11/2026

Leaving MAGA
Friday, August 28th at 7:00 pm

Laborers' Local 309 Hall
2835 7th AV
Rock Island, IL (map)

PACG and others

Please join us on Friday, August 28th, at 7pm at the Laborer's Hall in Rock Island to hear Rich Logis describe his experiences and successes in helping disillusioned people leave MAGA. Rich's book, One Betrayal Too Many, will be available for purchase at the event.

PACG is co-sponsoring this event along with six other organizations as part of the quarterly Quad Cities Civic Conversations series. As suggested on the attached flyer, registration using the QR Code is encouraged, but not required. We hope to see you there!

Caryn Unsicker (she/her)

Medicare and Medicaid birthday party After Action Report

8/8/2026

Birthday Party for Medicare and Medicaid After Action Report

PACG Healthcare Reform and other groups

Community members from across the Quad Cities gathered Wednesday, July 29, at the Eastern Avenue Branch of the Davenport Public Library to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid and reaffirm their support for preserving the vital health care programs.

The event was hosted by the Iowa Citizen Action Network, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Progressive Action for the Common Good. Over 30 people attended, enjoying cupcakes and ice cream while commemorating the anniversary of the landmark programs, which were signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 30, 1965.

As part of the celebration, community members signed a birthday card on behalf of the millions of Americans who have benefited from Medicare and Medicaid over the past six decades. People were also invited to share written comments and personal stories about how the programs have impacted their lives and the lives of their families.

The program featured remarks from retired physician Dr. Jim Kettelkamp; Jay Williams and Doug Sample, who shared their experiences as Medicaid beneficiaries; Krystle Able, Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans; and Sue Dinsdale, Executive Director of the Iowa Citizen Action Network.

Dr. Kettelkamp highlighted the crucial role of Medicaid in funding rural hospitals, which not only provide local and immediate care but are also often the largest employer in the area. He pointed out that when rural hospitals shut down services, “the sound of helicopters becomes the sound of health care.”

Williams asked, “What is government for?” His answer was, “to represent and protect people.” He spoke of Medicare and Medicaid as “compassion made public.”

Sample, who has multiple sclerosis, shared documents from his years of trying to receive his needed health care through Iowa Medicaid. He described how Medicaid officials denied or ignored his applications for health care services, in one instance over a four-year period, that forced him to crawl into his own home and live primarily on dry cereal.

Organizers concluded the event by encouraging attendees to remain engaged, share their stories with elected officials, and continue advocating for policies that strengthen Medicare and Medicaid for current and future beneficiaries.

The event was co-sponsored by the Iowa Citizen Action Network, the Alliance for Retired Americans, Progressive Action for the Common Good, Citizen Action Illinois, Fairness for Iowa, Health Care for America NOW, Main Street Alliance, and One Human Family QCA.

Kay Pence, Vice President
Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans

(Note: the slideshow presentation from the party is attached below. Kay has also written a letter to the QC Times about the need to strengthen both of these programs. Read her letter at our PACG blog post here. We got great media coverage as well: WVIK/NPR and KWQC)

medicare_medicaid_birthday_slide_show.pptx
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Medicare and Medicaid should be strengthened, not weakened - Letter in QC Times 7/26/2026

8/6/2026

Medicare and Medicaid should be strengthened -
Letter to the Quad CityTimes

To the Quad City Times

From a PACG Healthcare Reform Forum member:

As Medicare and Medicaid celebrate their 61st anniversaries, I'm reminded that these programs are more than government policies—they're promises that Americans can retire with dignity and receive care when they need it most.

I spent my career as a union representative bargaining contracts. At every bargaining table, healthcare was always a big issue. Millions of Americans were uninsured, driving up costs for people with insurance. As costs rose, employers pushed for more cost-sharing and fewer benefits.

The Affordable Care Act helped change that by making insurance affordable. It strengthened healthcare security for working families and eased pressure during contract negotiations.

Today, as Vice President of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, I hear a different set of concerns.

Many retirees rely on Medicare but may also need Medicaid if they eventually require long-term nursing care. Thousands of seniors in nursing homes qualify for Medicaid after they exhaust their life savings. Without Medicaid, many can't afford the care they need.

Too often, people assume these programs are for someone else—until illness, disability, or aging changes their lives.

Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act have given millions of Americans greater security and peace of mind. As healthcare costs continue to rise, we should be strengthening these programs, not weakening them.

The members of the Alliance for Retired Americans know that retirement should be defined by dignity, not fear of losing healthcare. On this anniversary, let's recommit ourselves to protecting the programs that generations of Americans depend on every day.

Note: PACG joined other organizations to celebrate the 61st anniversary of these two important, life-saving programs. Read our blog post here.

Kay Pence

Register for the 14th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction (2026)

8/4/2026

Register now! 14th Annual PACG Picnic and Pie Auction
Sunday, September 13th from noon to 3 pm

Longview Park
(large shelter at the top of the hill)
1300 17th ST
Rock Island, IL (map)

A Message from the Board

Invite your family and friends to PACG's 14th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction from noon to 3:00 pm on Sunday, September 13th in Rock Island.

Catering will be by A Guy and A Grill in Muscatine. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available.

Tickets prices vary. If you purchase your tickets in advance you save money and we can order the right amount of food. If you bake a pie for our Pie Auction, your meal is free. Registration will close on Wednesday, September 9th.

Register here.

We will offer a limited number of donated tickets. Whether or not you plan to attend, you can donate money for tickets to help someone else. We appreciate your generosity. (If more money is donated than needed for picnic tickets, your donation will be used to continue our work for the common good.)

If you pay in advance and have to cancel before we order a meal for you, we will be able to refund your ticket. Contact us by Monday, September 7th for a refund.

Please bring your own cup, silverware, bowl, and plate so that we can practice good environmental stewardship.

Questions? Need more info? Contact us at [email protected] or call us at 563-676-7580 (no texts).

The PACG Picnic Committee

Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG)
PO Box 544 Bettendorf, IA 52722
(563) 676-7580
[email protected]
PACG is a 501(c)(3) organization and your donation may be tax deductible.

© 2026 Progressive Action for Common Good