# Photos



Day #3 John Edwards' Fighting for One America Iowa Bus Tour

It's day three of the Fighting for One America bus tour and we're rolling along through Iowa. Yesterday was an exciting day with stops in  Sioux City,Ida Grove, Rockwell City, Pocahontas, Clarion, and Clear Lake and a special focus on rural issues. 

 

Check out these videos:

Today we're headed to  Manly,Osage,Charles City,Waterloo and Waverly where John Edwards will talk about the importance of rewarding work.

As part of his plan to create One America where hard work is rewarded and families can get ahead, John Edwards will:

 

  •  Raise the Minimum Wage to $9.50 an Hour: Under Gov. Culver, Iowa has been a leader in raising the minimum wage. But even at the 2008 level of $7.25, the earnings of a single parent with two children will still be $2,000 below the federal poverty line. Edwards will set a national goal of a minimum wage that equals half the average wage. He will raise the minimum wage by 75 cents a year until it reaches $9.50 in 2012. He will also restore the minimum wage for tipped workers to half the full minimum wage – the minimum wage for these workers has stood at $2.13 since 1997 – and extend wage and hour protections to home health care workers
  • Protect Workers' Rights: As president, Edwards will revive the Department of Labor to protect the rights of all workers by working to reverse Bush Administration decisions that have excluded millions from the right to overtime pay. Edwards will also beef up OSHA enforcement and strengthen protections for workers who report injuries or unsafe conditions.
  • Guarantee Universal Health Care: More than 250,000 Iowans don't have health insurance and one in four Americans with health insurance are underinsured. Guaranteeing quality affordable health care for every American is the most important thing we can do to strengthen the middle class and working class in this country. Edwards has a true universal health care plan that offers every American the option of a public plan and will save the average family $2,000 to 2,500 a year. Employers will have to help cover their employees, the government will make insurance affordable with new reforms and subsidies, and all Americans will buy insurance.
  • Fight Predatory Lenders and Help Families Save: In the first half of 2007, the number of properties in Iowa being foreclosed on more than doubled compared to 2006. Edwards will crack down on abusive credit card companies, predatory mortgage lenders, and payday loan shops that take advantage of working families. To help families save, he will provide matched savings accounts for low-wage workers.

You can follow us along over at johnedwards.com/iowa, over on myspace.com/jreiowabus or we'd love to see you on the road!  Below the flip, I've included some details on the schedule for today and tomorrow!

Oh, and not to be missed, the photos:

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