Recognizing Bleeding Heartland's talented 2017 guest authors

Bleeding Heartland published 140 guest posts by 81 authors in 2016, a record since the blog’s creation in 2007.

I’m happy to report that the bar has been raised: 83 authors contributed 164 guest posts to this website during 2017. Their work covered an incredible range of local, statewide, and national topics.

Some contributors drew on their professional expertise and research, writing in a detached and analytical style. Others produced passionate and intensely personal commentaries, sometimes drawing on painful memories or family history.

Guest posts assessed public opinion findings, local political culture, bills pending in the state legislature, election results, or the likely impact of President Donald Trump’s actions.

Authors held city leaders, statewide officials, Iowa House and Senate members, and federal office-holders accountable. Some pondered political strategy. Others sounded the alarm about policies coming our way.

Writers shared wisdom gained from their own political activism: as a candidate for local office; as an organizer of a successful protest; or as newly-engaged volunteers. Some wrote first-person accounts of campaign rallies or other events of interest. A few provided the texts of speeches they had given at public gatherings.

Authors celebrated Iowa’s living treasures and noteworthy political happenings from the recent or distant past.

I doubt any state-based blog in the country draws from a stronger, deeper pool of writing talent. Please look over the posts linked below and consider adding your voice to Bleeding Heartland during 2018. Guest pieces can be short or long. Writers are allowed to use pseudonyms. If you don’t already have a user account, I can set one up for you (e-mail info AT bleedingheartland.com).

Thanks also to the readers who occasionally comment on posts here. If you’ve never participated that way, feel free to sign up and share your views.

Gary Kroeger was Bleeding Heartland’s most prolific guest author in 2017, with fourteen posts:

Power to the People (Right On!)

The Heritage of Obamacare

Tom or Ted? You Decide

Give the Guy a Chance!

The Higher Moral Ground

No More Liberals!

“Put your bodies upon the gears”

Stand By Your Manor

Gunfight at the OK Corral Middle School

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

The qualities we pray for

The Emperor Has Designer Clothes

Democrats…We Can Do Better

Passion and leadership: McGuire is best choice for governor

Citizen lobbyist Matt Chapman was a close second. Most of his thirteen Bleeding Heartland posts were inspired by happenings during the Iowa legislative session:

House Republican unable to answer questions about just-passed gun bill

Jake Chapman’s procedural adventure

Absurd reasoning in action as Iowa Senate approves voter ID bill

A closeted marijuana smoker’s view of prejudice in the Iowa Code

Iowa sets precedent with “First in the Nation” law lowering the minimum wage

Republican strategy and divisive bills in the Iowa legislature

Will Governor Branstad’s legacy be yours as well?

30 minutes with David Young

Jethro’s: “We support our employees and a minimum wage hike.” Then why did Mike Holms lobby for House File 295?

So why are health insurance premiums skyrocketing?

Marginalized Iowans and the lack of representation in Washington

The AHCA, the fourth Congressional district and how the left can learn

Facts matter, but not if they fall on deaf ears

Randy Richardson drew on his in-depth knowledge of education for seven pieces:

Education appropriations bill makes significant policy changes

Collective bargaining changes bring new challenges and opportunities

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Iowa’s new collective bargaining law

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Iowa’s new collective bargaining law-Part II

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Iowa’s new collective bargaining law-Part III

Alternative teacher pay plans returning to Iowa (this was among Bleeding Heartland’s 40 most-viewed posts of the year)

Who benefits from expanding options on teacher retirement plans?

DMNATIVE wrote seven county political profiles:

Up Next- Audubon County (3/99)

Number 4 of 99: Taylor County

Another Southern Iowa Red County- Wayne County (5/99)

Our first trip to Northern Iowa- County number 6, Osceola County

Now we visit Ida County, the 7th smallest in Iowa

We remain in Northwest Iowa for our 8th visit, to Pocahontas County

Fremont County, the southwest corner of Iowa. Number 9 in population

Johnson County Supervisor Kurt Friese contributed six commentaries:

Facebook and the Women’s March

Postcards & Pale Ale

When They Tell You It’s Not About the Money

The Children of Immigrants

Using Iowa’s property taxes to solve a non-existent problem

Keeping all our options open: A vision for a “new century farm” in Johnson County

Two other Iowa elected official also wrote for Bleeding Heartland during 2017. Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker made The Case for Kurt Meyer for Iowa Democratic Party chair and shared the Standing in Solidarity Speech he delivered in Cedar Rapids in February.

Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson, a former Republican, published the written comments he submitted to state lawmakers: County Leaders Against Partisan Attack On Collective Bargaining.

Tracy Leone wrote five posts about the unprecedented conflict between the Muscatine City Council and Mayor Diana Broderson. (That power struggle took up quite a bit of my head space later in the year.)

This is a witch hunt

Exhibit WHY?

Exhibit WTF

WWTD: What Would Twain Do?

Not with a bang but a whimper – quiet conclusion to Muscatine impeachment

Laura Hubka wrote five pieces for Bleeding Heartland in 2017.

Tough Choice. In Support of Kurt Meyer for Iowa Democratic Party Chair

An Iowa Democrat’s open letter to the former president and first lady

Buy Your Seeds Now!

Bernie v. Hillary

We are not the ones we were waiting for (the eleventh most-viewed post at the site all year)

Jon Muller wrote four posts. The first was prescient: