Abdul-Samad gets weak nod
REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD
October 27, 2006
(snip)Sometimes none of the candidates in a race seems to deserve election, and that's the case this year in House District 66, in the heart of Des Moines.
But voters have to make a choice, so we will, too: We recommend Ako Abdul-Samad, a Des Moines school board member and founder and CEO of Creative Visions, a nonprofit social-services agency. The seat is open because of Ed Fallon's unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
It's hard, though, to have confidence that Abdul-Samad, a Democrat, will be a watchdog for the public's interests. Abdul-Samad resigned from the board of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium this spring after a state audit exposed excessive salaries. A federal investigation is under way. Perhaps even more stunning, it was revealed that CIETC had shorted his own agency nearly $180,000, yet Abdul-Samad was unaware of it.
The problem is the three other candidates seeking the seat seem to know little about the issues, especially education.(/snip)
Friday, October 27, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Republican collects more cash than rival
Republican collects more cash than rival
A local activist calls Jack Whitver's success over the past 5 months positive, but race favorite Ako Abdul- Samad downplays the feat.
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 22, 2006
(snip)A young Republican candidate seeking a legislative seat in the heart of Des Moines mustered more donations over the past five months than the Democratic favorite, campaign finance records show.
Republican Jack Whitver, 26, a businessman and former Iowa State University football player, collected $6,285 between May 19 and Oct. 19, while Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad, 55, raised $5,010 during the same time period.
The candidates are vying to represent Iowa House District 66, which includes downtown, Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side.(/snip)
A local activist calls Jack Whitver's success over the past 5 months positive, but race favorite Ako Abdul- Samad downplays the feat.
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 22, 2006
(snip)A young Republican candidate seeking a legislative seat in the heart of Des Moines mustered more donations over the past five months than the Democratic favorite, campaign finance records show.
Republican Jack Whitver, 26, a businessman and former Iowa State University football player, collected $6,285 between May 19 and Oct. 19, while Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad, 55, raised $5,010 during the same time period.
The candidates are vying to represent Iowa House District 66, which includes downtown, Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side.(/snip)
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Four House District 66 Hopefuls Debate Issues
Four House District 66 Hopefuls Debate Issues
Candidates Discuss Gay Marriage, Homelessness
Four candidates want to replace longtime State Rep. Ed Fallon in House District 66.
That's an area that includes downtown Des Moines and several surrounding neighborhoods. The downtown house district is overwhelmingly Democratic and has been for years.
Besides the traditional Democratic and Republican challengers, independent and Libertarian candidates joined in Tuesday's forum on J. Michael McKoy's radio program on WOW-FM.
All the candidates said they are against gay marriage, that they do not in support bringing back the Touchplay machines, and they agreed crime, drugs, prostitution and homelessness are some of the key issues in the district.
So how would they fix the problems?
"My (plan) would be one of using a special forum that already exists and find out what we can do about the problem," said independent candidate Jeff Johannsen.
"The current system that addresses addiction is not working. We need to have better treatment programs instead of incarceration," said Republican candidate Jack Whitver.
"We need to fund those treatment centers. We have to have jobs and job training," said Democratic candidate Ako Abdul-Samad.
"We can look to other districts and other bigger cities to see what they are doing to end homelessness," said Libertarian candidate Brett Blanchfield.
Candidates Discuss Gay Marriage, Homelessness
Four candidates want to replace longtime State Rep. Ed Fallon in House District 66.
That's an area that includes downtown Des Moines and several surrounding neighborhoods. The downtown house district is overwhelmingly Democratic and has been for years.
Besides the traditional Democratic and Republican challengers, independent and Libertarian candidates joined in Tuesday's forum on J. Michael McKoy's radio program on WOW-FM.
All the candidates said they are against gay marriage, that they do not in support bringing back the Touchplay machines, and they agreed crime, drugs, prostitution and homelessness are some of the key issues in the district.
So how would they fix the problems?
"My (plan) would be one of using a special forum that already exists and find out what we can do about the problem," said independent candidate Jeff Johannsen.
"The current system that addresses addiction is not working. We need to have better treatment programs instead of incarceration," said Republican candidate Jack Whitver.
"We need to fund those treatment centers. We have to have jobs and job training," said Democratic candidate Ako Abdul-Samad.
"We can look to other districts and other bigger cities to see what they are doing to end homelessness," said Libertarian candidate Brett Blanchfield.
Hot buttons hit in District 66 forum
Hot buttons hit in District 66 forum
Candidates offer their prescriptions for area's social ills
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 18, 2006
Forget political correctness.
Radio talk show host J. Michael McKoy on Tuesday steered the four candidates for Iowa House District 66 in Des Moines through a frank discussion of hot-button issues ranging from prostitution to gay marriage to illegal immigration to TouchPlay.
"Everyone knows that District 66 is a pit of drugs, prostitution and homeless people," McKoy said during a three-hour candidate forum on the talk show "Mac's World" on 98.3 KWQW-FM.
Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad, 55; Libertarian Brett Blanchfield, 31; independent Jeff Johannsen, 44, and Republican Jack Whitver, 26, are vying to represent the district in the heart of Des Moines. The seat is open due to Rep. Ed Fallon's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor.
The candidates acknowledged problems in the district and called for more drug treatment, job training, education and neighborhood collaboration to tackle problems. Highlights of Tuesday's forum included:
- Gay marriage: Only Blanchfield said he would support gay marriage. He said government does not have a right to be the one to "split hairs" between same-sex marriages and civil unions, or to tell churches which couples should be recognized. "The state should not get involved with that," he said.
- Cigarette tax: Only Whitver said he would increase the state's cigarette tax. He expressed frustration at House Speaker Christopher Rants blocking the effort earlier this year. "That tax had a wide amount of support," he said. The other three candidates said they do not support raising taxes.
- CIETC: Blanchfield questioned Abdul-Samad's ability to oversee taxpayer spending. Abdul-Samad is a former board member of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, which is under investigation for using taxpayer money to pay excessive salaries. He's also founder of Creative Visions, which was recently audited but cleared of wrongdoing. "Creative Visions has been exonerated," Abdul-Samad said. "As for CIETC, I am not being accused of mismanaging any money."
- Homeless shelter: Although it's not an issue for the Legislature, none of the candidates favored moving the Churches United homeless shelter to the proposed location south of Interstate Highway 235 and east of Keo Way. Blanchfield called the move "irresponsible," while Abdul-Samad said it was too close to children in the Homes of Oakridge.
- TouchPlay: All candidates voiced opposition to TouchPlay, the Iowa Lottery devices that looked like slot machines and were banned by the Legislature this year. Only Johannsen indicated a willingness to bring them back to some degree, but not in areas such as grocery stores that are frequented by children.
- Illegal immigration: Candidates voiced support for fining businesses that employ illegal immigrants. However, Johannsen, who's president of a catering and vending business and has had immigrants work for him, said government needs to do its job keeping up with the paperwork on the issue.
- Campaign finance: Whitver spoke most vehemently about not accepting money from political action committees, and said he turned down money from U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley's PAC. "It does make it tough, but it's the right thing to do," he said. Blanchfield said limiting PAC money is a slippery slope. "Money is a form of free speech," he said. "It is a limitation of free speech to say you can't send your money to this."
- Experience: Johannsen, a co-founder of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, criticized Whitver for his lack of experience and for moving into the district within the last two months. "Pay your dues," he scolded. Whitver, a businessman and former Iowa State University football player, shot back that he shouldn't be attacked for being one of the youth who chose to stay in Iowa.
- Priorities: If elected, Blanchfield said he would lower taxes and bring power away from government and back to communities. Johannsen would address poverty in the district. Whitver would address the "education crisis" by investing more in the classroom, while Abdul-Samad would remove drugs, address the homeless and put education on a level playing field.
Democrats outnumber Republicans among the district's registered voters, 54 percent to 14 percent. McKoy downplayed the importance of party affiliation in the race. "I'm not sure that the donkey and the elephant are going to matter as much as individual ideas and people who are running," he said.
House District 66 includes downtown Des Moines and areas surrounding it: Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side. District boundaries include 28th Street on the west, East 18th Street on the east, Jefferson Avenue on the north and Park Avenue on the south.
Candidates offer their prescriptions for area's social ills
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 18, 2006
Forget political correctness.
Radio talk show host J. Michael McKoy on Tuesday steered the four candidates for Iowa House District 66 in Des Moines through a frank discussion of hot-button issues ranging from prostitution to gay marriage to illegal immigration to TouchPlay.
"Everyone knows that District 66 is a pit of drugs, prostitution and homeless people," McKoy said during a three-hour candidate forum on the talk show "Mac's World" on 98.3 KWQW-FM.
Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad, 55; Libertarian Brett Blanchfield, 31; independent Jeff Johannsen, 44, and Republican Jack Whitver, 26, are vying to represent the district in the heart of Des Moines. The seat is open due to Rep. Ed Fallon's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor.
The candidates acknowledged problems in the district and called for more drug treatment, job training, education and neighborhood collaboration to tackle problems. Highlights of Tuesday's forum included:
- Gay marriage: Only Blanchfield said he would support gay marriage. He said government does not have a right to be the one to "split hairs" between same-sex marriages and civil unions, or to tell churches which couples should be recognized. "The state should not get involved with that," he said.
- Cigarette tax: Only Whitver said he would increase the state's cigarette tax. He expressed frustration at House Speaker Christopher Rants blocking the effort earlier this year. "That tax had a wide amount of support," he said. The other three candidates said they do not support raising taxes.
- CIETC: Blanchfield questioned Abdul-Samad's ability to oversee taxpayer spending. Abdul-Samad is a former board member of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, which is under investigation for using taxpayer money to pay excessive salaries. He's also founder of Creative Visions, which was recently audited but cleared of wrongdoing. "Creative Visions has been exonerated," Abdul-Samad said. "As for CIETC, I am not being accused of mismanaging any money."
- Homeless shelter: Although it's not an issue for the Legislature, none of the candidates favored moving the Churches United homeless shelter to the proposed location south of Interstate Highway 235 and east of Keo Way. Blanchfield called the move "irresponsible," while Abdul-Samad said it was too close to children in the Homes of Oakridge.
- TouchPlay: All candidates voiced opposition to TouchPlay, the Iowa Lottery devices that looked like slot machines and were banned by the Legislature this year. Only Johannsen indicated a willingness to bring them back to some degree, but not in areas such as grocery stores that are frequented by children.
- Illegal immigration: Candidates voiced support for fining businesses that employ illegal immigrants. However, Johannsen, who's president of a catering and vending business and has had immigrants work for him, said government needs to do its job keeping up with the paperwork on the issue.
- Campaign finance: Whitver spoke most vehemently about not accepting money from political action committees, and said he turned down money from U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley's PAC. "It does make it tough, but it's the right thing to do," he said. Blanchfield said limiting PAC money is a slippery slope. "Money is a form of free speech," he said. "It is a limitation of free speech to say you can't send your money to this."
- Experience: Johannsen, a co-founder of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, criticized Whitver for his lack of experience and for moving into the district within the last two months. "Pay your dues," he scolded. Whitver, a businessman and former Iowa State University football player, shot back that he shouldn't be attacked for being one of the youth who chose to stay in Iowa.
- Priorities: If elected, Blanchfield said he would lower taxes and bring power away from government and back to communities. Johannsen would address poverty in the district. Whitver would address the "education crisis" by investing more in the classroom, while Abdul-Samad would remove drugs, address the homeless and put education on a level playing field.
Democrats outnumber Republicans among the district's registered voters, 54 percent to 14 percent. McKoy downplayed the importance of party affiliation in the race. "I'm not sure that the donkey and the elephant are going to matter as much as individual ideas and people who are running," he said.
House District 66 includes downtown Des Moines and areas surrounding it: Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side. District boundaries include 28th Street on the west, East 18th Street on the east, Jefferson Avenue on the north and Park Avenue on the south.
4 vie to win House seat in central Des Moines
4 vie to win House seat in central Des Moines
Controversies draw eyes to D.M.'s diverse District 66
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 17, 2006
For years, Republicans have written off the legislative district in the heart of Des Moines that includes the city's near-north side, affectionately called "the hood" by the man currently representing the district.
Iowa House District 66 is one of the most racially diverse districts in the state. It's also a stronghold for Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in registered voters by 54 percent to 14 percent.
But this year, the seat is open after Rep. Ed Fallon made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad has found himself with three opponents in the Nov. 7 election: Republican Jack Whitver, Libertarian Brett Blanchfield and independent Jeff Johannsen.
Controversies draw eyes to D.M.'s diverse District 66
By LYNN CAMPBELL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 17, 2006
For years, Republicans have written off the legislative district in the heart of Des Moines that includes the city's near-north side, affectionately called "the hood" by the man currently representing the district.
Iowa House District 66 is one of the most racially diverse districts in the state. It's also a stronghold for Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in registered voters by 54 percent to 14 percent.
But this year, the seat is open after Rep. Ed Fallon made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad has found himself with three opponents in the Nov. 7 election: Republican Jack Whitver, Libertarian Brett Blanchfield and independent Jeff Johannsen.
City Lifts Freeze On Creative Visions Funds
City Lifts Freeze On Creative Visions Funds
The city said that there's no evidence of wrongdoing by an agency that works to help at-risk youth.
Creative Visions, a social services agency headed by Ako Abdul-Samad, was accused of falsifying documents to help justify the agency's funding.
In August, Des Moines City Hall froze federal grant money it channels to Creative Visions for job placement and training programs after an unnamed whistle-blower leveled the charge.
This February, the city said it found, for the second time in two years, that Creative Visions' paperwork was lacking. The city also claimed that many client files were missing.
Abdul-Samad had agreed that his agency has had its paperwork problems, but he denied there were missing files.
City Manager Rick Clark said Friday that that agency's remaining $75,000 of its block grant as outlined in its approved contract have been unfrozen.
A decision about the future funding of Creative Visions beyond the current program year will be up to the City Council, a news release said.
The city said that there's no evidence of wrongdoing by an agency that works to help at-risk youth.
Creative Visions, a social services agency headed by Ako Abdul-Samad, was accused of falsifying documents to help justify the agency's funding.
In August, Des Moines City Hall froze federal grant money it channels to Creative Visions for job placement and training programs after an unnamed whistle-blower leveled the charge.
This February, the city said it found, for the second time in two years, that Creative Visions' paperwork was lacking. The city also claimed that many client files were missing.
Abdul-Samad had agreed that his agency has had its paperwork problems, but he denied there were missing files.
City Manager Rick Clark said Friday that that agency's remaining $75,000 of its block grant as outlined in its approved contract have been unfrozen.
A decision about the future funding of Creative Visions beyond the current program year will be up to the City Council, a news release said.
Friday, October 13, 2006
House District 66 Reconstruction Plan - Issue #2
House District 66 Reconstruction Plan - Jack Whitver
Issue #2 - Economic Development
The commoditization of crisis has become Iowa’s chief economic development strategy. We build prisons. We build casinos. We lobby for taxpayer money to create social programs that fail to address the population intended to be served but we do enrich those employed in those industries thus creating an economy built around blight.
In the 1970s, a professor out of Northwestern published his study on how a poor neighborhood in Cook County supported multiple middle class and affluent neighborhoods in the surrounding communities. Current estimates document that we spend on average more than $80,000 per poor person in our society on services and programs created to serve them. In reality these programs serve more the people employed in them then the people the programs were intended to serve.
Recent examples highlight this. CIETC, a program designed to help people, like recent parolees, find jobs was a trough from which local corrupt officials slopped. Rock and Prevention, a youth drug prevention program saw one person take 39% of the program's budget for himself. This summer we read national reports about the Legal Services Corporation rejecting clients but spending money on $400 limousine rides and other outrageous luxuries. Finally Iowa has been ordered to reduce significantly the numbers of individuals in our state that are welfare dependent. If employment and opportunity aren’t the reasons for reducing these numbers over the next five years, governmental mandate and the elimination of benefits, with no back up plans, will be.
Regarding economic empowerment, my goal is to work to improve the wealth and success of the people of this district and to impact poverty, not just maintain it. To accomplish this, I will stress four main areas.
1. Promote Gainful Employment: Competent workers and available workers are the two major obstacles limiting business expansion and growth in this state. The level of blight and poverty in this district can be turned to opportunity because the land exists here to create new business and industry. If you go out to Urbandale or West Des Moines the land is being swallowed up. Our district, however, has the infrastructure and the capacity to absorb new and exciting opportunities. High levels of unemployment also means this district has a labor force that can be educated and trained to fulfill the labor needs of local businesses and industry. This is another reason we need effective and accountable job training programs instead of corrupt and exploitive programs like CIETC
2. Wealth Creation: Poverty maintenance is no longer good enough. Poor people in this district have supported entire neighborhoods in the Western suburbs of Polk County. An aggressive effort using programs like the Institute for Social and Economic Development must begin with the goals of creating wealth and opportunity. We must also collaborate with local churches and community groups like Citizens for Community Improvement that provide consumer education and classes on credit reparation. Residents of this community have the resources to invest whether that means in the market, a home or the ideas of their friends and families. If this were not the case rent-to-own centers, Prairie Meadows, the lottery, and local exploitation businesses like the payday loan stores and the title loan companies wouldn’t be flourishing. Instead, it is a top priority of mine to pull together collaborative efforts to help educate the residents of this district on how to create and sustain wealth despite the perception this district can’t do that.
3. Smart Spending/Smart Saving Efforts: Currently the residents of this district spend a dollar to purchase approximately 82 cents. This happens in three ways: We spend money to get money at places like the check cashing centers. We spend money to spend money because there are few amenities in this district like grocery stores and movie theaters. And we spend more money to spend money on things like higher insurance rates and rent-to-own products. Smart spending/smart saving efforts can literally result in tens of millions of dollars in resources redirected directly into the pockets and family budgets of the residents of this community. In fact, if we can get the residents of this community to spend a dollar for a dollar, it would result in the redirecting of more than $70 million into the pockets or budgets of the residents of this district.
4. Home Ownership: Home Ownership remains the American Dream. At the federal level this has been a priority but it has also been a priority of the Vilsack Administration through the Iowa Finance Authority. We must work with both governmental agencies, groups like CCI and financial institutions that have credit reparation and consumer education programs to prepare people for home ownership and then move them to home ownership in this district. Nothing will stabilize this district more than creating home owners, neighborhoods and communities with vested interests.
Issue #2 - Economic Development
The commoditization of crisis has become Iowa’s chief economic development strategy. We build prisons. We build casinos. We lobby for taxpayer money to create social programs that fail to address the population intended to be served but we do enrich those employed in those industries thus creating an economy built around blight.
In the 1970s, a professor out of Northwestern published his study on how a poor neighborhood in Cook County supported multiple middle class and affluent neighborhoods in the surrounding communities. Current estimates document that we spend on average more than $80,000 per poor person in our society on services and programs created to serve them. In reality these programs serve more the people employed in them then the people the programs were intended to serve.
Recent examples highlight this. CIETC, a program designed to help people, like recent parolees, find jobs was a trough from which local corrupt officials slopped. Rock and Prevention, a youth drug prevention program saw one person take 39% of the program's budget for himself. This summer we read national reports about the Legal Services Corporation rejecting clients but spending money on $400 limousine rides and other outrageous luxuries. Finally Iowa has been ordered to reduce significantly the numbers of individuals in our state that are welfare dependent. If employment and opportunity aren’t the reasons for reducing these numbers over the next five years, governmental mandate and the elimination of benefits, with no back up plans, will be.
Regarding economic empowerment, my goal is to work to improve the wealth and success of the people of this district and to impact poverty, not just maintain it. To accomplish this, I will stress four main areas.
1. Promote Gainful Employment: Competent workers and available workers are the two major obstacles limiting business expansion and growth in this state. The level of blight and poverty in this district can be turned to opportunity because the land exists here to create new business and industry. If you go out to Urbandale or West Des Moines the land is being swallowed up. Our district, however, has the infrastructure and the capacity to absorb new and exciting opportunities. High levels of unemployment also means this district has a labor force that can be educated and trained to fulfill the labor needs of local businesses and industry. This is another reason we need effective and accountable job training programs instead of corrupt and exploitive programs like CIETC
2. Wealth Creation: Poverty maintenance is no longer good enough. Poor people in this district have supported entire neighborhoods in the Western suburbs of Polk County. An aggressive effort using programs like the Institute for Social and Economic Development must begin with the goals of creating wealth and opportunity. We must also collaborate with local churches and community groups like Citizens for Community Improvement that provide consumer education and classes on credit reparation. Residents of this community have the resources to invest whether that means in the market, a home or the ideas of their friends and families. If this were not the case rent-to-own centers, Prairie Meadows, the lottery, and local exploitation businesses like the payday loan stores and the title loan companies wouldn’t be flourishing. Instead, it is a top priority of mine to pull together collaborative efforts to help educate the residents of this district on how to create and sustain wealth despite the perception this district can’t do that.
3. Smart Spending/Smart Saving Efforts: Currently the residents of this district spend a dollar to purchase approximately 82 cents. This happens in three ways: We spend money to get money at places like the check cashing centers. We spend money to spend money because there are few amenities in this district like grocery stores and movie theaters. And we spend more money to spend money on things like higher insurance rates and rent-to-own products. Smart spending/smart saving efforts can literally result in tens of millions of dollars in resources redirected directly into the pockets and family budgets of the residents of this community. In fact, if we can get the residents of this community to spend a dollar for a dollar, it would result in the redirecting of more than $70 million into the pockets or budgets of the residents of this district.
4. Home Ownership: Home Ownership remains the American Dream. At the federal level this has been a priority but it has also been a priority of the Vilsack Administration through the Iowa Finance Authority. We must work with both governmental agencies, groups like CCI and financial institutions that have credit reparation and consumer education programs to prepare people for home ownership and then move them to home ownership in this district. Nothing will stabilize this district more than creating home owners, neighborhoods and communities with vested interests.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
(Des Moines City) Council Vows More Scrutiny Before Giving to Nonprofits
NOTE: Creative Visions is one of many organizations Jack Whitver's Democratic opponent Ako Abdul Samad is associated with.
Council vows more scrutiny before giving to nonprofits
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 10, 2006
"Des Moines City Council members agreed Monday to review criteria for grants and conclude investigations before they allocate more money to nonprofit groups, some of which are in the midst of scandal."
(snip)"On Monday, a citizen committee gave recommendations for how to allocate almost $5 million to services for low-income residents for next year. The recommendations included $50,000 to Creative Visions, whose allocation for the current year is suspended pending the outcome of a city review of records."(/snip)
Council vows more scrutiny before giving to nonprofits
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 10, 2006
"Des Moines City Council members agreed Monday to review criteria for grants and conclude investigations before they allocate more money to nonprofit groups, some of which are in the midst of scandal."
(snip)"On Monday, a citizen committee gave recommendations for how to allocate almost $5 million to services for low-income residents for next year. The recommendations included $50,000 to Creative Visions, whose allocation for the current year is suspended pending the outcome of a city review of records."(/snip)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
House District 66 Contenders to Face Off
House District 66 contenders to face off
WHO:
- Democrat Ako Abdul-Samad
- (website) Citizens for Ako
- Libertarian Brett Blanchfield
- (website) District 66
- Independent Jeff Johannsen
- (no website found)
- Republican Jack Whitver
- (website) Jack Whitver Watch
WHAT:
- 3 Hour Open Discussion Forum For Candidates, House District 66
WHEN:
- Oct 17th, 1:00 - 4:00 P.M.
WHERE:
- J. Michael McKoy's "Mac's World" on 98.3 KWQW-FM
WHY:
- The seat is open due to Rep. Ed Fallon's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor.
HOW:
- No question list
- No Creative Visions/CIETC discussion unless audit findings releases
- "They won't use my program to bash a candidate," McKoy said.
HOUSE DISTRICT 66 bits:
- includes downtown Des Moines, Sherman Hill, King-Irving Park, River Bend, Capitol Park and some of the south side
- is one of the most racially diverse in the state
- Democrats outnumber Republicans in registered voters, 54 percent to 14 percent
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