Campaign Blog: Independence Day

by Alexander Schmidt, candidate for Iowa House of Representatives District 60

It's July 5, and I hope everyone had a safe and happy Independence Day!

I'm encouraged by all the patriotism that was shown, and a lot of the genuinely thoughtful conversations I have been having with voters are making me believe a large turnout is headed our way this November.

I had a great time with the Mitchell County Dems as we marched proudly in the Osage Independence Day Parade. It was excellent parade weather, and our presence attracted a lot of cheers along the route. I handed out my new campaign literature:

It lists some of the core issues that I intend to fight for as your legislator in House District 60.

I designed it myself (obvious from the self-caption reading "First Cousin to Ben Franklin")

I regret that Mona, Otranto and Bolan couldn't make it on the map due to lack of space.

At the bottom, the disclaimer reads: "This flier was designed and printed in Iowa, without the use of artificial intelligence or paid consultants."

This already lists my view on way more issues than your average political candidate's literature, but I still found that issues were quickly summarized due to the obvious lack of print space, so allow me to expand upon a few of them here:

Repeal School Vouchers, Strengthen Public Education

At least $340 million, possibly more, can be reappropriated to our public schools by giving tax dollars from the unaccountable private school voucher program (so-called education savings accounts) back to public education.

Parents have the right to choose whether homeschooling, religious, private or public school is the best fit for their student. I believe private schools should be funded privately, and public dollars should be spent on public schools.

Every rural school district in North Iowa has to worry about enrollment, and now they have to additionally worry about competing with private and charter schools for tax dollars? That doesn't make sense to me. Our students and educators deserve better than that.

I would be a firm ally of the many rural schools in the district, and fight further consolidation so they can keep their unique identity and continue their important missions in their communities.

Repeal The Flat Tax, Establish a Progressive Tax rate via Constitutional Amendment

The flat income tax favors the wealthy and penalizes working class and lower-income Iowans, and it's already led to a revenue shortage. Each year that we have a tax structure where the wealthy don't pay their fair share, we continue to risk even more cuts to services like education and healthcare.

The era of the oligarch must be over. The favoring of the wealthy and the era of "trickle-down economics" must be over.

Clean Up Our Water

It is long past time that we hold Big Ag and super-polluting corporations accountable for their role in Iowa’s cancer and water quality crises.

In the race for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, I'm supporting Chris Jones.

Restore Civil Rights Protections on the basis of Gender Identity

House Republicans voted to remove "gender identity" as a protected class under the Iowa Constitution's Civil Rights Act, the first time in the history of our state and our nation where a civil right was rolled back.

This was a shameful act that has opened the door to discrimination against Iowans, and it should be repealed.

Finally Raise the Minimum Wage

Since January 2008, Iowa's minimum wage has been $7.25. No other state has kept their minimum wage this low for this long. With negative job growth and urgent need in the healthcare, service, manufacturing and ag industries, I believe we should raise the minimum wage to be ABOVE the federal minimum wage by constitutional amendment.

Ban Private Prisons

Prison should be about rehabilitating the offenders, not generating a profit. I want to ensure no private prison is ever erected in Iowa via legislation banning the practice.

Legalize Recreational Cannabis

For too long, the medicinal and psychoactive components of cannabis have been unfairly demonized and underutilized in treatments, while tax dollars on legal recreational purchases go to neighboring states, Iowa is far behind the times.

I support gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand's plan to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis for adults in Iowa.

Restore and Protect Access to Reproductive Healthcare

I believe that abortion is healthcare, and that the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment guarantees liberty in decisions of bodily autonomy.

I applaud Rep. Jane Bloomingdale for her consistent courage in standing up to the GOP (her own party) when it comes to protecting reproductive rights.

I would vote to repeal the draconian invasions on privacy and make ensuring access to reproductive healthcare a priority as your representative.

Protect Iowa's Workforce

Securing jobs for North Iowans, ensuring their right to a living wage and for a safe and equitable workplace will be my priority as your legislator. I'm proud to have been endorsed by the Iowa AFL-CIO.

The Republicans in 2017 voted to weaken Iowa's worker's compensation laws. I believe that, when injured, workers have the right to be treated by their own doctor. Since these laws were passed, costs have predictably shifted drastically to the injured party. I believe public employees should have the same collective bargaining rights as in the private sector, including over wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment.

The GOP majority also voted for rolling back child labor protections that allow 14-15 year-olds to work 28 hours per week during the school year, 10 hours more than federal law permits. I'm in favor of certain exceptions for family farm work, but these "reforms" are endangering the safety of children by putting them in potentially unsafe work environments.

Support Our Rural Public Schools & Libraries

Cutting local public school and local libraries' ability to levy funding is at a detriment to our communities. I would restore the local library levy option. Every community needs emergency services, utilities, schools and libraries.

De-Privatize Medicaid, Medicare for All

Medicaid privatization has led to more bureaucratic red tape and more rural hospital services being strained. People with complex medical needs do not have time to haggle with private insurance companies or wait to be denied coverage. The time for universal single-payer healthcare is now.

We ought to fight for a system that puts people over profits, and live up to our American ideals (and our status as the wealthiest nation on Earth) by doing the right thing: providing affordable access to healthcare for all our citizens.

I am also willing to encourage Iowa's faith-based providers to open up access to a more compassionate era of reproductive care; and to offer people of all or no faiths the same high standard of science-based care.

Moratorium on New Data Center Construction

I recognize data centers as critical infrastructure, but I am concerned about their future use in the private and public sectors.

As the artificial intelligence boom is underway, we must regulate the free and fair use of data and establish trade practices that respect human rights.

I am deeply concerned about the use of artificial intelligence for the creation of deepfakes and misinformation; generative AI and digital slop taking jobs from human creators and contributing to brain rot.

Also, we have to be concerned with regulating the mining of digital currency, the practice of data brokers storing and exploiting consumer information, strengthening protections against harmful chatbots and other malicious and exploitative practices (especially those targeting children and elderly).

No Eminent Domain for Private Gain

People in several midwestern states have been under threat for years by a private corporation attempting to build the world's largest carbon capture pipeline; ostensibly to reroute carbon emissions from ethanol plants into underground storage sites for fracking.

They are claiming they are a public utility, so they are requesting the right of eminent domain to proceed with construction against the will of landowners along the route. I think this is wrong, and a private corporation should not be granted the right to eminent domain unless it serves a legitimate public purpose.

Independence Day

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a document was ratified that asserted the rights of all human beings to self-governance.

I have a copy hanging in my office (Just like the president does). Here's a picture, but you'll just have to believe that it's in my office and not somewhere else:

As I mentioned earlier, (and will mention to anyone) I'm proud to say that I can trace my ancestry to one of the drafters and eventual signers of this document, Benjamin Franklin. His maternal uncle is my 10x great-grandfather, making Ben my first cousin, ten generations removed.

For some light holiday reading, a great new one is "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written" by Walter Isaacson, wherein, word-by-word, the phrase "We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," is analyzed in a compact way for any audience. Highly recommend.

In it, you'll learn of Franklins' editing of Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration; which read "We hold these truths to be sacred..."Isaacson writes, "Franklin, who was on the five-person drafting committee with Jefferson, crossed out "sacred," using the heavy backslash marks he had often used as a printer, and wrote in "self-evident."

It's evident by our own reasoning that the governors should be held accountable by the governed.

I think that sentiment rings true, two hundred and fifty years later.

I'm going to continue to slowly (and deliberately) knock on the doors of the district and engage those who wish in a conversation about their representation.

Thanks to all who have helped the campaign take off! More to come very soon....

-Alex