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March 15, 2008

Full text of T.J. Templeton's formal announcement for candidacy for Iowa State House of Representatives

 

Hello Plymouth county. It’s a good day to be a democrat, isn’t it?

Before I tell you who I am, I’d like to thank _________ for introducing me. I’d also like to thank Karl Oehlerking, a fellow platform committee member for encouraging me to do this. And also Jon Neunabor for all of his help. I’d like to thank everyone who gave me a signature to get me up here. And I’d also like to thank Claussen’s in Le Mars, for helping me dress like a grown-up.

Some of you may know me from my work. My Name is T.j. Templeton and I’m the founder and director of the Project for the Old American Century. The Project is a liberal/progressive grass-roots activist organization that focuses on corporate and government corruption. And thanks to the republican party, business has been very very good.

I started the Project 6 years ago with 10 dollars and an email account. Today it’s become a news outlet, media archive, and activist network. Our website attracts 7 to 15 thousand unique visitors a day and our message board has over a thousand members.

For those of you who have never heard of me, there’s a reason for that: I’m not a product of Northwest Iowa, but rather I married into it. I was raised in Kansas City Missouri, where I met my beautiful and brilliant wife. She was working as the vice president of corporate relations for the American Heart Association. I snatched her up as quickly as I could and we moved back to Le Mars, where she was from.

Many of you probably know my in-laws, Ken and Shirley Jacobsen. They are very active in the Democratic Party and used to own and operate Eilers Farm Service.

Before moving to Le Mars, I was the co-owner of a small business. Before that I worked in retail management, and before that I actually worked in a can factory alongside the United Steelworkers Union members. I didn’t join because it was just a summer program.

I don’t have a PhD. I’ve never sat on the board of some fancy company. I’ve enjoyed the gift of poverty most of my adult life… and I think I’m a better person because of it. I know what it’s like to live from paycheck to paycheck and not be able to afford healthcare or education.

Now a lot of people have asked my why , after only living here for four years, am I injecting myself into local politics. And the answer to that question is simple: It was brought to my attention that our seat in the Iowa State House of Representatives has gone to the republicans unchallenged by a democrat for the last 12 years. And the incumbent, Mr. Chuck Soderberg, is looking at going into his third term unchallenged. Now I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem very democratic to me.

Now to be fair, maybe Mr. Soderberg is doing such a great job representing us in Des Moines that he should be left unchallenged. Maybe he’s doing such a wonderful job that we should just let him go on doing what he’s doing.

But to be sure, I did some research. It turns out that Mr. Soderberg , before serving the third district in the Iowa house of representatives, served as Vice President of Planning and Legislative Services for a utility company.  Now that sent up some red flags. Here we have a man from the party of Worldcom, of Tyco, of ENRON and HALLIBURTON serving as an executive for a utility company who suddenly decides to go into politics. It make one ask... “Is Chuck Soderberg looking out for the interests of the workers, the consumers, the business owners of District 3, or is he looking out for the interest of his board members and investors?

So I did a little more research. I found an article in my media archive from last year published in the Quad City Times. The title of the article was “Iowa:  GOP lawmakers urge against global warming action”. The article describes how Soderberg and a handful of other republicans were handing out copies of a book to all of other representatives on the house floor. And this book was about  denying the human component  of global warming. This book was provided to them by a right-wing think tank in Chicago. A right wing think tank that, over the past few years, has accepted over 7 hundred thousand dollars from Exxon Mobile.  And I did a little background check on the authors. And it turns out that this is nothing new for them.  In fact, they have a long history of denying science for corporate benefit. In fact, in the past, they have gone on record claiming that second-hand cigarette smoke doesn’t cause lung cancer, CFCs didn’t cause ozone depletion, and DDT doesn’t harm the environment. For those of you who aren't familiar with these issues, let me summarize: When we eliminated CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer disappeared. When we eradicated DDT, the American Bald eagle was able to come off of the Endangered Species list, and we all understand the link cigarettes and cancer.  These men were against those things. And there was our trusted representative for district 3, pushing their book on the House floor.

 Along with that book, Mr. Soderberg and four other legislators also signed a letter that day. And the letter stated that the state of Iowa should pass no legislation that attempts to address global warming. He feels that we shouldn’t even address it.  And here’s the best part. The reason that book and this letter gave for ignoring global warming? Because it will inhibit the free market and harm our economy.

Now I don’t know about you, but wherever Iowa has invested in green-collar jobs, invested in renewable fuels, invested in alternative energies, everywhere where an ethanol plant has gone up, I’ve seen a boost to the economy and an increase in jobs and wages. But for some reason Mr. Soderberg doesn’t see it that way.  So who is he working for in the State House of representatives? I’m here in Le Mars, watching  our biggest employers… I’m watching Harker’s selling off jobs, I’m seeing Wells Blue Bunny cutting back on jobs and wages. I’m watching the Ice Cream capital of the world turn in to the layoff capital of the world, while our representative in Des Moines, is passing around propaganda financed by big oil to protect the interest of his fellow board members  and big-money backers. So I ask, Is Chuck Soderberg serving the interest of the workers, of the consumers, of the business owners of Iowa district 3? Absolutely not!  And it is for that reason that I am proud to announce that I will be the democratic choice on the ballot to replace Chuck Soderberg for seat of District 3 in the Iowa House of Representatives.