WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BRENT SIEGRIST & OTHER ITEMS

DANA REVIEW (2006) Fall , Viol. 63, #1/ p. 29

Siegrist was often seen in the numerous newspapers all over Iowa, and border states of Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota. There were also mentions of him in national

magazines like THE NEW REPUBLIC.

Brent was Speaker of the House for Iowa and a member for 18 years. His manner was warm and winning. He knew how to count votes. The majority of his career was as a moderate Republican.

He lost a tough primary battle to a very conservative Representative. Both were competing to go to Washington and serve in the US. Congress. Siegrist made an excellent parting speech and headed for the public sector.

He was recently appointed to the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board and Iowa Television board that sets policy for the public station. Siegrist's main job is the Executive Director for Iowa's Area Education Agency. This system works with students who need special services. There are many

AEA's all over the state. So this is a big responsibility.

He is also on the board of Goodwill and Iowa Western Community College. Further, he is also secretary treasure for Tomorrows Workforce.

Siegrist is married and has two children. He is an excellent public speaker. In the past, he had been an academic and athletic director and coach.

THE NEW REPUBLIC (2007) 1/15

8/ Connor/ The NRA is out looking for enemies and they don't have many.The gun organization is so efficient and powerful that a legislator that votes against them has a one way ticket home. There are still a few "safe" districts where one can vote against the NRA, but very few. However, they need enemies to generate cash so they chase after individuals who opposed them in the past.

In the 2008 election, both major candidates will probably not have gun agendas other than

the NRA's. Everyone can have an AK-47. Particularly if you live in rural areas or high crime areas

they can probably help.

13/ Cohn/ Liberals are eyeing the Nordic model of employment. Globalization causes worker dislocation. Companies come and go and wages head south. In Denmark, you lose your job, you have a personal job coach that outlines a retraining program and monitors your work supplement to support you as you retrain. If you don't get with the program, you lose most of your benefits. then you go to work for the country. The Danish are tough on immigrants and visas are temporary. To become a citizen is hard because once you become  a citizen , you earned numerous benefits.

Although this is a form of left wing capitalism, it could also be the last great stand for a Neo-Socialism as the benefits are generous to workers. Marx, Smith, and Hayek (1970 edition would support it, but for different reasons.Socialist would be attracted to it because it works. Further,

Corporate taxes are relatively low and yet personal taxes are higher, but taxpayers can actually see, touch and feel their money being used. They have health care, child care, in home nursing, home insurance and burial benefits and related. They also have an attractive public infastructure. The major means of production is private. The telephone company was privitized. Although this appears to work, for numerous reasons that can not be discussed in this space, it is overwhelming unlikely to be something that could occur in the USA.

18/ Linker/

Can a Mormon get elected? Probably not. However, the reasons are more complicated to

non-mormons. LDS appears to be not on the same page as the Orthodox, Catholic. Protestant

Liberal Christian organizations. All of these organizations accept that Jesus died and lives

in another sphere. LDS indicates that Jesus returned  to the United States and that latter day

revelations are through Prophet Joseph Smith. So to religious moderates and liberals, the LDS

is another wing of Christianity. To conservative Christian of all stripers, this is not only heresy

but apostasy.

33/ It has been 50 years since Roth vs. the USA, that implied that pornography is a form of

speech. Numerous other legislation and court decisions now set the basis on community standards.

Are we as a nation, better off? Are we happier?