The Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus says they’ve been marching in the State Fair Veterans Parade for the past ten years, yet were denied participation at the last minute this year from an official in Kim Reynolds’ administration.
The group says they were already approved this year to join the parade, but were called on Friday by Chair of the Iowa Veterans Commission Dan Gannon, a Reynolds appointee, and told they could not participate because they were political. They were apparently not given a specific rule as to why the change was made.
“We were informed Friday, after we followed the instructions like we have for the last several years to be in the parade. We were told Friday late afternoon that we weren’t welcome,” Ron Healey, chair of the Veterans Caucus, told Starting Line. “As honorably discharged veterans, it’s just unbelievable.”
The caucus has specific records of them participating in the parade in 2015, 2008 and 2007. They were even flagged back in 2015 for their political affiliation while Terry Branstad was governor, but was still approved.
Notably, the Veterans For Peace group was allowed into the parade and announced by name as they passed the main stage with Governor Reynolds watching. They carried a number of very political messages on signs as they marched. Secretary of State Paul Pate, who is up for reelection this year, was also part of the parade.
Several members of the Democratic Veterans Caucus showed up to the parade route and held their banner across the street from Reynolds and the main stage.
“I just think it’s absolutely outrageous,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price said. “I think that it shows that this administration is not one that wants to hear criticism. The governor and this administration doesn’t want to see bad news or people who have dissenting opinions. We just saw the head of the medical commission last week that didn’t get reappointed because he was speaking truth to power, and now this. It’s incredibly disappointing and I hope voters remember this in November.”
by Pat Rynard
Posted 8/13/18
14 Comments on "Democratic Veterans Group Booted From State Fair Veterans Parade"
The State Fair? Not political? What about this? http://www.blueribbonfoundation.org/about-us/staff
https://www.iowastatefair.org/upl/downloads/library/parade-floats-vehicles-and-novelty-units.pdf
There is nothing in the application that bars a political float or organization.
Come on Kim, what are you afraid of. I used to think that you were a stand up politician. You have now earned my strong opposition. This is not the only reason however.
Is this still a free country or NOT.
Seems like Reynolds, like Trump, is not good for Iowa nor America.
Is this really true?
YES, it is true.
Democrats need to break the rules and not give in to Reynolds and her cronies so easily. If we don’t fight back, the Iowa GOP will continue to bully us. It is time to go to court when needed to
protect our rights.
I stand with that. We need to clean house from all the Republicans that seem to think they can change rules and collect big long term salaries. Oh there is a few Dems that need gone but what the Republicans did last year was so so wrong. And Reynolds is just like her mentor. A waist of pure oxygen.the ads that they put on about the Dem candidate is a joke and her pure lil took me 40 years and hard work to get where she is at ? give us all a break ?
What a crock. These “people” need to be bootede out ASAP. (I’ll bet that if there were a Republican Veterans Caucus, they would have been allowed)
Veterans are veterans regardless of their party affiliation! And you are fearful of them marching in a parade??? What happened to basic respect for all human beings? And why aren’ t the people running the fair deermining this? Is it that the Iowa State Fair is only open to Republicans because no one else is allowed an opinion? This is shameful!
Please start electing qualified citizens whose focus is doing what is best for ALL THE PEOPLE OF IOWA AND THE STATE OF IOWA. That includes providing enough funds for the state universities that all students can afford to attend college, so the universities are not in disrepair, and so that programs and the best qualified professors can continue. It also means stop giving away tax dollars to private companies to administer medicaid. Those companies are in it for one reason—profit/greed. Mediciad should not be run to obtain a profit! Put the needs of people who need services first, not your cronnies in these companies who make money by making it impossible for patients to get the services they need to get by.
These tactics are not the Iowa I know and loved when I was college student.
For Reynolds to bar the IDVC by using her own political muscle is the height of hypocrisy and is discrimination on full display. We see you, Kim Reynolds. And when someone shows me what they are, I believe them
Wow..I have been in Iowa many many times. I simply cannot believe that anyone doing this to a group of Veterans could expect to ever win another election, even to be dog catcher. Shame, shame, shame.
Reynold ‘s ego seems to match Trumps.