I got an email from Sheila Hanke yesterday that was most disturbing. Due to economic conditions in Iowa, the funding for the state battle flags project is in danger of being cut off when their July 1st, 2009 budget takes affect. This would terminate her job and her assistant's as well as close the flag collection to all outside researchers for either seeing the flags, getting images of them or documents from the flag files.

As many of you may know, there are a number of Confederate flags in their collection besides the Iowa battle flags. I have seen this collection before and it is as well run as any in the nation with professional storage cabinets and a professional staff that has been very accommodating with me over the years.

Please find below three names of state senators as well as their governor. Please email and write them to let them know how valuable this collection is and if they see a number of emails and letters coming from outside of Iowa it may dawn on them that their collection is also a national treasure. Be polite when you write them please.

Thanks,

Greg Biggs

William A. Dotzler, Jr.
State Senator
Senate District 11
Democrat
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319

E-mail: bill.dotzler@legis.state.ia.us
Home Address: 2837 Cedar Terrace Dr, Waterloo, IA, 50702
Home Telephone: 319-296-294

Matt McCoy
State Senator
Senate District 31
Democrat
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319

E-mail: matt.mccoy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Address: 110 - 35th St, Des Moines, IA, 50312

Occupation: VP of Community Development - Downtown Community Alliance
Business Telephone: 515-245-2959

Governor Chet Culver
Iowa State Capitol
Des Moines Iowa 50319