Author Archives: Ed Fallon

Industry’s New Colonial Outpost: Rural Iowa

April 6, 2018 by Ed Fallon
399 comments
Ed Fallon’s Weekly Blog: Two things before I explain why Iowa is becoming a colonial outpost: First, I’m sad to say that the pro-DAPL bill (SF 2235) passed this week despite hundreds of Iowans contacting their lawmakers. Visit the Fallon Forum and Bold Iowa websites for news coverage and to learn how your senator and representative voted. The silver lining is that Bold Iowa’s coalition of environmentalists, landowners, farmers and Native allies worked with labor unions on a common cause. Let’s build on that! Second, Continue reading →

Pipeline bill passes despite strong grassroots opposition

April 5, 2018 by Ed Fallon
One comment
Check out coverage of SF 2235’s passage and write a letter-to-the-editor in response. Contact Ed Fallon if you need to know more about what’s involved with submitting your letter. If you know of other news outlets that picked up the story, let us know. As of April 5, here’s the coverage we’ve seen so far: Cedar Rapids Gazette Des Moines Register Mason City Globe Gazette Quad-City Times Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier To see how your State Senator voted, scroll down to page 852 of the Senate Continue reading →

Keep the pressure on at the Statehouse!

March 21, 2018 by Ed Fallon
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Our calls to lawmakers are working!  ETP’s bill has stalled, but could come again at any time. Let’s keep the pressure on. There’s another reason to stop this bill. It’s impossible to say for sure, but I’ll bet anyone a dozen cage-free eggs that another oil pipeline through Iowa is under consideration. The mere threat of another round of condemnation for a new pipeline underscores why it’s so important to call, write or visit your state representative and senator again and immediately! Remind them to vote Continue reading →

Laying the ground for another pipeline?

March 21, 2018 by Ed Fallon
38 comments
Dear Friends, It’s impossible to say for sure, but I’ll bet anyone a dozen cage-free eggs that another oil pipeline through Iowa is under consideration. The mere threat of another round of condemnation for a new pipeline underscores why it’s so important to call, write or visit your state representative and senator again and immediately! Remind them to vote “NO” on SF 2235 / HF 2394! If this legislation passes, crude oil pipelines will be classified as “critical infrastructure.” That could make it a whole lot easier Continue reading →

URGENT: Calls need on so-called “sabotage” bill

March 7, 2018 by Ed Fallon
306 comments
Hi Folks – I apologize for writing more than once this week, but this is urgent. Just today, Rep Rick Olson has filed amendments to SF 2235 (HF 2394) — the “critical infrastructure sabotage” bill — and we need to turn up the heat to encourage lawmakers to support them. As written the bill does two really bad things: 1. It could make peaceful, non-violence protest a Class B felony — with a possible fine of $100,000 and a 25-year prison sentence! 2. It could Continue reading →

Former foes join forces to oppose pipeline bill

March 6, 2018 by Ed Fallon
2 comments
Dear Friends, Legislation that would criminalize public protest and legitimize the Dakota Access Pipeline as part of Iowa’s critical infrastructure could come up today in the Iowa House! It’s important that people call their state representative at (515) 281-3221. If you don’t know your representative you can find them using this link. Here’s the press release Bold Iowa sent out this morning. While it’s tremendously encouraging that Bold and Labor are again on the same page, we have a lot of work to do to Continue reading →

“Sabotage” bill a Trojan Horse for eminent domain abuse

February 8, 2018 by Ed Fallon
One comment
[By Ed Fallon] About twenty years ago, growth-management advocates across the US were shocked when the Tennessee General Assembly enacted one of the nation’s strongest anti-urban sprawl bills. At the time, I was working on similar legislation in Iowa, so I traveled to Nashville to learn more. Sitting in the office of a state lawmaker who helped champion the bill, I asked, “How did you make this happen?” “Mah friend,” drawled the lawmaker as he drew on his cigarette, “if you want to accomplish something Continue reading →

Des Moines “Here Comes the Sun” House Party

February 7, 2018 by Ed Fallon
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Come to a “Here Comes the Sun” House Party on Saturday, February 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 2809 Kingman Blvd in Des Moines. Learn about solar energy from one of Des Moines’ leading installers, Tim Kruse of Green Light Renewable Services. We’ll have hors d’oeuvres catered by Cyd Koehn, beverages, music and a lively discussion. Free will offering to support Bold Iowa’s work gratefully accepted. We’ll also get an update on the “Stop DAPL 2.0” campaign and the lawsuit filed by nine Iowa landowners and Continue reading →

U.S. Bank Protest in Minneapolis: Activists March Against Pipeline Funding

February 4, 2018 by Ed Fallon
425 comments
Link to original article: https://heavy.com/news/2018/02/us-bank-protest-minneapolis-pipeline-photos-super-bowl/ Coverage by Heavy.com, New York, NY, February 3, 2018 Excerpt: Activists Say U.S. Bank Is Still Funding Pipelines By Giving General Financing to ETP & Other Clients Some activists are saying that the bank is still financing the pipelines indirectly. And because of this, hundreds showed up for the protest in Minneapolis the day before the Super Bowl, shutting down an intersection in the city: Hundreds of water protectors just shut down this intersection in Minneapolis, protesting @usbank’s funding of Continue reading →

“STOP DAPL 2.0” TALKING POINTS

February 2, 2018 by Ed Fallon
406 comments
“STOP DAPL 2.0” TALKING POINTS The fight to stop the Dakota Access pipeline is again ramping up! A while back, there was this excellent piece by Carolyn Raffensperger, the story about pipeline sabotage legislation (click here to read Bold Iowa’s press release in response), and this story about US Bank and the divestment campaign. Good, but we need a lot more chatter and clamor — especially around the landowner/Sierra Cub lawsuit before the Iowa Supreme Court. Letters to the editor (LTE) and Op Eds in Continue reading →