Getting Real Answers |
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By Jason Hancock jason@dmcityview.com Presidential candidates take the stage with ‘regular folks’It’s been more than 30 years since Brenda LaBlanc and her husband, Robert, were the victims of redlining, the practice of denying services to residents in certain, often racially determined, areas. “We were turned down by five banks because we wanted to live in an old neighborhood,” LaBlanc said. “We had good credit and good jobs, but we were turned down and they wouldn’t give us a reason. The reason was the banks wouldn’t lend to low income neighborhoods.” But instead of getting discouraged, LaBlanc got involved with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. The group was part of a nationwide campaign that eventually led to the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, which requires banks to apply the same lending criteria in all communities. LaBlanc was a member of the first local task force concerning the legislation. Now, years later, LaBlanc is still active in the fight to ensure everyone gets a fair shake. “Back then it was redlining. Today it’s predatory loans. Once you solve one problem, they figure out a new way to get over on you,” she said. And now LaBlanc is getting a chance to voice her concerns to a group that may one day be able to help her cause the most. She is going to speak directly to the candidates for president. LaBlanc is one of the community activists from across the country that will take the stage at Hy-Vee Hall on Dec. 1, to question candidates for president as part of the Iowa CCI and the Center for Community Change’s Heartland Presidential Forum. “Here in Iowa, we are tired of political rhetoric,” said Hugh Espey, executive director of Iowa CCI. “We want to see how candidates respond to real issues from real people.” Five candidates have agreed to participate: Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Every candidate received an invitation in May and a reminder notice last month about the event. “They will have to answer questions from everyday people, and those people will have the ability to press for an answer,” he said. Kevin Borden, a field organizer with the Center for Community Change, said a similar event was held in South Carolina in 2004. More than 3,000 people showed up to hear the candidates’ responses to the questions, and a lively back-and-forth took place as people who had experienced the problems the candidates talked about finally got their chance to speak. The afternoon will start with a rally in Nollen Plaza. The group will then walk down to Hy-Vee Hall for the event, which is scheduled to start about 1:30 p.m. Nearly 5,000 people from across the country are expected to attend the free event. For more information about the forum, or to get tickets, go to www.iowaheartlandforum.org.
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