Letters to the editor

The Southeast Iowa Union featured an article on legislation introduced by Rep. Hora and Sen. Driscoll to crack down on child pornography and enticement. I hope they are equally concerned about the poor examples exhibited by elected officials of their party at both the state and federal level, and publicly take a stand.

All fall of 2022 we watched a political ad at the state level that incorporated an obscene gesture in her political ad. Last spring we had a billion-dollar ad promoting vouchers that had falsehoods and distortions.

At one time, public schools in Iowa were the model that all other states attempted to emulate. Elected officials have spent 50 years working to weaken and destroy public education, including higher public education, in Iowa. Obviously, they feel education should be for only the privileged. Our state government is responsible for the shortage of educators. Why be an educator when you can make more money in the private sector and be treated with respect and dignity?

At the federal level, we know an elected official cheated on all three of his wives, as well as other disrespectful actions against women. What a role model for young people. An elected representative admitted shortly after his election that the majority of his bio was a total fabrication; yet, he was in the House of Representatives for 11 months before they ousted him. Obviously, party numbers were more important to them than honesty and integrity. There are more examples at both levels.

Their party has always claimed to be “the party of law and order.” At the state level, legislation was enacted to limit the state auditor’s ability to uncover fraud and misuse of funds. Why? Is it an example of partisan politics; or not wanting him to uncover fraudulent activity by their party members, or both?

When their party standard-bearer entered the political scene, it was obvious he was a habitual liar. It is impossible to believe anything coming from his mouth or to have respect for a habitual liar. He lies so much that some people are being brainwashed by his lies. Now it seems to be acceptable for other elected members of their party to do the same.

At one time, Iowa had a very highly respected governor, Robert Ray. When he became governor, he was governor for all Iowans; quite a contrast from what we see today. Gov. Ray promoted a concept called “The Six Pillars of Character.” The six pillars were: Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Citizenship, Trustworthiness, and Fairness. I think Gov. Ray would be very disheartened to know ego and a sense of power are more important to his party’s elected officials now than their character and the future of our democracy.

Ken Wulf

Washington

One-size-fits-all policies wrong for Iowa

Once upon a time long ago, Iowa Republicans believed big government should stay clear of the day-to-day operations of counties, cities, towns and school boards.

No more!

An appetite for power fueled by the single-minded ideology that comes with one-party rule has reversed principles of governance in Iowa. Driven by an anti-tax feeding frenzy and a holier-than-thou moral superiority, Gov. Reynolds and the Republican Legislature are meddling head-strong in how we live our lives.

HF 718 mandating across the board draconian cuts to the property tax rate has local officials statewide reeling. Here in Henry County, long-respected and experienced administrators are rightfully concerned about services and safety. The County Attorney, Sheriff, General Assistance Administrator, Public Health Director and others are worried that cuts adversely impact their duties and our quality of life. Our neighbors in Lee County face an even greater dilemma.

Concerns fall largely on deaf ears as our county supervisors march to the dictates of Des Moines. Nothing in the record tells us the like-minded supervisory Henry County trio ever questioned HF 718 on our behalf while it was rushed through the legislative mill. Nor, do we know if they were even asked.

We recently learned that up the road about a mile from me is one of the five most dangerous stretches of highway in the entire state. Is it right for us to expect our Sheriff to commit resources and increased enforcement in the interest of public safety while telling him to slash positions and funding? Has anyone asked this question or presented it to area legislators?

HF 718 is only a starter. The Governor and a bevy of hot-blooded, know-it-all legislators are telling school librarians what to do, Area Education Agency services are on the ropes, public school funding is ravaged, nutrition assistance for children has been denied solely for purposes of political pandering and Police Chiefs are being told how to manage traffic safety. There is little evidence of due diligence with educators, food bank workers or highway safety experts as these actions are imposed.

Iowa has ninety-nine counties — no two alike. Iowa has 327 School Districts — no two alike.

Ill-informed one-size-fits-all policies and Des Moines directives do not respect this diversity and are contrary to the home-rule principles of local governance that is favored by Iowans.

This chicken has come home to roost. One-party rule has consequences.

Dave Helman

Salem

Suspicious of proposed Henry County wind farm

A Feb. 20 Southeast Iowa Union article shed light on the proposed wind farm in Northern Henry County, but there Is much more to the story.

RWE, a German company founded in 1898, did well during WWll while the Greatest Generation sacrificed countless blood and treasure to save the world from Nazism.

Germany can’t keep their Nord Stream pipeline open, and RWE is taking down wind towers to expand coal mining. RWE buys, sells, trades energy and energy companies, dealing in gas, oil, coal and China could someday hold the leases to this wind farm.

RWE set up a satellite headquarters in Chicago, the murder capitol of the US.

In late 2022, RWE quietly started signing up landowners to lease land for wind turbines. Landowners received a signup bonus (thousands of dollars), before reading the 57-page contract or having the decency to ask neighbors how they might be affected.

A sales rep came to us and started by saying that she presented two brothers with possible monthly income and the signup bonus, when one said “get the paperwork ready.” People grabbed the cash like a third-grader getting a lollipop from a teacher after he learned to spell the word “SCAM.”

Retired folks have planned for their golden years, maybe sitting on the porch of their dream home, watching the moon and stars, holding hands and smooching.

The 650-foot towers well above the tree line with red beacon lights and shadow flicker could end the romance. Signers, many live in town, have NOT attended the meetings to defend their position.

Supervisors know that without tax credits, exemptions, subsidies, etc., wind farms don’t operate and government incentives pile on to the $34.2 trillion national debt.

A map is available detailing the property and listing the owners that have signed up, others’ property values are expected to go down.

Leland Graber

Wayland

Leave curriculum to professionals

A bill in Iowa’s Legislature to imbue a restrictive version of social studies education upon our young people is not only poorly written, but replaces the goal of teaching *what* happened in history with the lawmakers’ handpicked narratives.

It is an obvious attempt to limit information related to world and American history by excluding certain events, people, and cultures that the party supporting this bill find threatening to their strict morals. It would take pages to point out all the numerous, serious problems with this legislation. It is misguided historically, developmentally, structurally, and even grammatically it is poorly written.

It deletes cultural histories of various significant groups including but not limited to, Native Americans, African Americans and women. This proposal earns an “F,” and as a teacher I am demanding that lawmakers leave curriculum design to the professionals who have the proper education for creating lessons that actually teach kids.

Stop infusing your political objectives into education, and just in case you have banned the dictionary too — here is a definition you need to learn: Indoctrination: teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.

Jeanine Redlinger

Lone Tree

Stop discriminatory trans bill

Something is missing in discussions regarding Gov. Kim Reynolds’s bill to strike transgender Iowans from Iowa law and require them to use facilities, such as locker rooms, that comport with their sex assigned at birth.

So far, debate has focused on trans females’ presence in women’s facilities. Women supporting the bill say they fear “males” invading their space.

But under the law, trans men, assigned female at birth, would also be required to use women’s facilities. That means legislators’ constituents, daughters, wives, sisters and nieces may see men, some with surgically constructed male genitalia, in restrooms, locker rooms and shelters for abuse victims.

Is that what they want?

Iowa’s civil rights code has allowed equal access to facility on the basis of gender for nearly 20 years. In that time, no trans people have been accused of misbehavior in locker rooms, restrooms or schools.

Stay with what works. Stop this discriminatory bill.

Thomas R. O'Donnell

Keosauqua