Senate Journal: Page 105: Friday, January 13, 1995

    economic benefits. Rapid changes in technology are shortening distances
    and allowing Iowans in Madrid to compete with people in Madrid. We live
    in a time when hard work, quality, and good communities are rare
    commodities as never before. Iowa stands poised for great opportunities.

         Today, who we are -- our values and our people -- and where we are
    -- in the center of things poised for opportunity -- provide us with our
    greatest opportunities and our greatest challenges.

         Our values are in short supply in the world today and that makes
    them more valuable and attractive. yet, they are founded on the farm --
    and the farm is changing. They are framed by the family -- and the
    family unit is stressed. They are connected to the community -- and our
    communities are challenged. Being in the center of things gives us an
    awareness and an ability to compete in the world marketplace. But we
    cannot let being in the center of things make us satisfied to be in the
    middle of the pack.

         No, we must dare to dream what kind of state, what kind of people
    we can be and have the courage to take the steps to get there. The winds
    of change that sweep this countrys plains sweep Iowa, too. We cannot
    build mountains or walls to keep them out.

         Our challenge is to take the best of our past and mold it into a
    bright future.

         It wont be easy. Many of our farms and farmers are stretched to the
    limit trying to compete with the forces of modern agriculture. Some
    would like to turn back the clock and legislate away competition. But if
    we do that, we would be signing our states economic death warrant.
    Instead, we need to give our farmers the tools, the products, and the
    knowledge to compete with anyone in the world.

         Many of our families are stressed and near breaking. Some would
    want government to substitute itself for the family as the glue that
    holds our society together. But that has proven only to speed up the
    breakdown of families. Instead, we must place more emphasis on personal
    and family responsibility, not government-sponsored dependency.

         Some of our communities are having a tough time coping with a
    rapidly changing economy. For those, we need to train new leaders, break
    down the barriers of distance with new technology, and energize the
    community into building its own future. I will not rest until every part
    of this state is growing again.

         Even the insidious forces of crime seem to be seeping into some of
    our proud and safe communities. Our challenge is to stop it and stop it
    now. When I was young, we lived along highway sixty-nine, and even with
    that, we didnt lock the doors at night -- we didnt even have locks on
    the doors. When you and I were the age of the children seated in the
    balcony here today, we could play in the streets without worry. And the
    thought of injury at school didnt expand beyond the class bully. Iowa
    can and will retun to that gentler era when the dark of night meant
    peaceful rest and the break of dawn meant peace of mind. We will do it
    not by coddling the criminal, but by making punishment clear, swift, and
    tough.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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