Category: After Action Report - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

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)

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)

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
File Size:	19665 kb
File Type:	pptx

Honoring the 108th Colored Troops After Action Report

7/1/2026

Honoring the 108th Colored Troops After Action Report

Civil Rights Forum

PACG President David Anderson and LTC Adhana McCarthy
at the Rock Island National Cemetery

On Juneteenth (June 19th, 2026), members of the PACG community participated in a celebration and remembrance of the 108th United States Colored Infantry Regiment that guarded Confederate prisoners at Rock Island Arsenal during the Civil War. The keynote address was given by LTC Adhana J. McCarthy MPAS, PA-C United States Army Medical Specialist. Other speakers gave the audience background and connections to families currently living in the Quad Cities. The ceremony concluded by laying flowers at the graves of soldiers of the 108th buried in Rock Island National Cemetery.

David Anderson (he/him)

6th Anniversary of Racial Equality rally-After Action Report

6/14/2026

6th Anniversary of Racial Equality rally After Action Report

Civil Rights Forum

Over 20 people gathered to stand up for Racial Equality on the 6th Anniversary of the rally started by Glenda Guster and me on June 13, 2020 after George Floyd was murdered. We were greeted by thumbs up and honks from passersby which I believe indicates that most people want to keep the conversation going.

Read the WVIK/NPR report about this rally here. And listen to the WQAD interview of Glenda and Cayrn here.

We and a band of regulars plan to keep the rally going every Saturday from noon to 12:30 until racial equality is achieved in our country!

Caryn Unsicker (she/her)

Earth Day is Every Day Fair-After Action Report

5/27/2026

Earth Day is Every Day Fair After Action Report

Environmental Forum

Our 7th Annual Earth Day is Every Day Fair went off without a hitch at the Farmers Market in Davenport. The weather was perfect. All 20 tabling organizations were able to attend. The music was great and everyone had a wonderful time! Thanks to our sponsors, WVIK, Living Lands and Waters, and the Freight House Farmers Market for their support.

Lori McCollum (she/her)

Is AI coming for your job? After Action Report

5/17/2026

Is AI coming for your job? After Action Report

Quad Cities Civic Conversations (QCCC)

On May 8th, Quad Citians gathered in Rock Island to listen to Alan Garfield, professor emeritus of digital art and design at the University of Dubuque, speak about how AI is affecting the work force. Alan presented data and offered insights on this topic. The audience was very engaged and asked many questions during the Q&A session that followed the talk. This was the 5th in the Quad Cities Civic Conversations series, which are offered quarterly.

Allison Ambrose

Opposition to power plant After Action Report

4/12/2026

Opposition to power plant After Action Report
IUC public meeting in Davenport

Concerned Citizens of Scott County

Members of the PACG Environmental Forum have been attending meetings and support this group in their opposition to the Natural Gas Power Plant proposed for Scott County. The following is an update on the meeting.

On Monday, April 6th , the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) held a public informational meeting on the Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) application to build a 240 megawatt peaker natural gas plant just outside Maysville in Scott County’s Hickory Grove Township. Peaker plants are designed to fill in when energy capacity is strained. PACG’s Environmental Forum has been attending meetings of the Scott County Board of Supervisors (BOS), those of the Concerned Citizens of Scott County, a group opposed to this plant, as well as this IUC meeting.

This proposal would place the plant on land zoned for agricultural preservation, and the BOS voted unanimously to deny the permit for the plant to proceed after considerable opposition. CIPCO then asked the IUC to overrule this denial. Approximately 135 people attended the IUC hearing, with comments that were both pro and con. Most of the comments in favor of the plant were about job growth, even though these plants typically employ only 6-7 staff. Local citizens expressed concerns about use of this highly rated agricultural land for industrial purposes They also questioned why CIPSO has an option to acquire 90 acres when the plant would only use about 30, leading to questions about the potential for expansion in the future. A
local firefighter expressed concerns about the potential for “incidents” and the fact that nearby fire departments are staffed by volunteers with inadequate equipment to manage an “incident”. They also failed to report that the closest school is John Glenn, which is within 3 miles of the plant, instead reporting that the closest schools are in Eldridge, about 5 miles away. Some residents expressed concerns about decreased property values after the plant is built.

Other concerns were noted about pollution. CIPCO staff showed graphs that predict minimal levels of pollution. However, one PACG member researched this and found that their modeling was based on 15-year-old data. Current data show that peaker plants emit considerably more pollutants than regular natural gas plants because they come on and off-line intermittently. According to the American Lung Association, the Quad Cities air ranks poorly, 43 rd worse in the nation, especially for particulates, which these plants produce. To learn more, we recommend reading the report from Jonathan Turner on the WVIK website. If you’d like to express your opinion to the IUC you can access their website (https://iuc.iowa.gov), on the docket titled:
Generating Certificate – Scott County, IA, # GCU-2026-0001).

Lori McCollum

Power plant meeting in Davenport After Action Report

4/12/2026

Opposition to power plant After Action Report
IUC public meeting in Davenport

Concerned Citizens of Scott County

Members of the PACG Environmental Forum have been attending meetings and support this group in their opposition to the Natural Gas Power Plant proposed for Scott County. Read our statement at the PACG blog post here.

Lori McCollum

QC Civic Conversation on Immigration - After Action Report

2/21/2026

**QC Civic Conversation with Peter Kvisto on Immigration Fact, Fiction, and Solutions - After Action Report**

Over 80 people attended the 4th Quad Cities Civic Conversation event, co-sponsored by PACG, One Human Family, Quad Cities Interfaith and Iowa Citizens Action Network. Dr. Peter Kivisto, retired Augustana professor of Social Thought, informed the audience about various facts about immigration and immigrants in our country, revealing the contributions that the immigrant population brings to the country. He also discussed the needs and challenges for positive legislation and policy going forward. A question and answer session ended the event. The audience was very engaged and learn a lot about the state of immigration today.

If you missed the event, you can view it at Vince Thomas’ YouTube channel where he posts for Community News & Views which airs on Public Access TV Channel 11 Mediacom in the Quad Cities area of Rock Island-Moline, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. Here is a link to the video: Pete Kivisto, Sociologist on Immigration Fact, Fiction and Solutions.

Allison Ambrose

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.

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