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Throughout the past few months, if not years, the Storm Lake Times Pilot has criticized the county on the lawsuit between the City of Storm Lake and Buena Vista County concerning tax increment financing. Public oversight is healthy, and sometimes, criticism is warranted. I won’t speak for other elected officials, but I want you to know that I agree this lawsuit isn’t in the best interest of county taxpayers or residents, and particularly city taxpayers and residents, who are essentially paying both sides of it. I want to remind you and your readers that it is the city that is suing the county. The county is NOT suing the city. PERIOD. The county has been put in a position to defend its taxpayers against the lawsuit. I believe everyone has the right to disagree with elected officials, but I also feel all sides should be heard, which is why the county is defending itself.
When this situation was first brought to our attention, the county auditor’s office immediately contacted the State Department of Management. The department provided a way forward to correct the concern. It was corrected and we moved on. The city decided not to take this path forward and subsequently filed a lawsuit against BV County. I can tell you that the county had made multiple attempts to resolve this case and to financially mitigate the city’s concerns. The board, however, cannot allow county taxpayers to just foot the bill twice.
So, Mr. Cullen, even though you and I have never talked once in the past few years, let alone about this issue, I do take offense to some of your latest editorials stating: “Merten wants War,” and that “Paul Merten is first among those in the courthouse to thump his chest to joust the city…”. These are not only false statements, I believe it is borderline slanderous and spiteful. I will always defend our county taxpayers to the best of my ability. Many of your readers may remember that a few years ago, the Board of Supervisors, as trustees for the drainage districts, was also forced to defend itself from a lawsuit by the Des Moines Water Works. At that time, I felt it was necessary to defend our taxpayers by hiring specialized outside counsel to help lead our defense. I feel this situation falls into that type of circumstance as well. And if you recall, the drainage districts ultimately won that suit despite the criticism.
On a more personal note, many years ago in one of your editorials, you actually endorsed me before the election. Since then, I don’t think my philosophies have changed, but the level of vitriol you spew certainly has changed, and not for the better. I understand the political bias of the Times Pilot, but in my estimation, local government shouldn’t be political, and really isn’t. I would hope you would stop using the bias to skew facts to fit your narrative that both entities are suing each other. This lawsuit and future bills could stop tomorrow if the city was willing.
Paul Merten, Buena Vista County Supervisor
This election cycle, the Iowa Republican Party offers yard signs that show the outlines of Minnesota and Iowa. The message translates to “Don’t Minnesota Our Iowa. Vote Republican.” It implies that Iowa must not become like Minnesota, a Democrat-led state.
Interestingly, the 2026 State of the Nation Project ranks Minnesota No. 1 in quality of life. How did Minnesota earn the top rank? Minnesota uses evidence-based decision-making. This approach bases government policies, programs, and budgets on collected data. An educated, logical way to govern.
Then, based on that data, Minnesota takes care of its people. The state government provides universal access to healthcare coverage, childcare, free school meals, paid leave from work, and expanded voting rights.
Hmmm. Iowa Republicans don’t want Iowa to be like Minnesota? Why?
Republicans call this kind of economic and political equity “socialism,” and we can’t have that here! Instead, Iowa’s approach cuts taxes while providing limited public services. We must fend for ourselves here. Wealthy Iowans benefit the most while one-third of our families can’t afford basic needs.
Minnesota levels the field for its residents. Iowa promotes a class division between haves and have-nots.
The prospect of Iowa becoming like Minnesota seems to scare our Republican Party. If Iowa’s approach were truly better than Minnesota’s, Iowa would rank No. 1 instead. The message seems to be that our governing majority doesn’t care about us. It implies a philosophy of “power, not people.”
Economic and political equity are NOT socialism.¹ But they do improve quality of life. Just ask the people of Minnesota.
¹ Socialism: ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole, usually through a centralized government.
Gordie Felger, Hiawatha
Don’t be fooled by President Trump’s “deal” with Vladimir Putin for Russian diesel fuel.
Don’t be fooled by Trump's claim that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries caused high diesel prices in the United States. Most Americans understand that diesel prices surged with the start of the Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 and the Iranian government’s decision to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump tries to shift blame for high diesel prices to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. The announcement caught both Kyiv and Moscow by surprise. Trump seemed to think that saying there was an agreement would make it true. Ukraine suspended strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for three days. Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets.
Trump next suspended the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. The bill would have sanctioned buyers of Russian oil and gas, notably China and India. Trump claims allowing Russia to sell energy on the global market will reduce fuel prices. That may be true, but at what cost?
European countries have paid for interceptors that Ukraine desperately needs to take down Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. The paperwork to release the interceptors sits on Pete Hegseth’s desk in the Pentagon. The (paid for) interceptors have not been shipped, and Ukrainians are dying.
In the clearest signal of President Trump’s efforts to force Ukrainian capitulation to the Kremlin’s demands, the military version of Starlink, Starshield, slowed Ukrainian defensive drones to speeds less than 100 miles per hour, entirely ineffective in taking down Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. When challenged, Trump claimed that Elon Musk had made the decision as CEO of Starlink. Musk responded that such a decision would be made at the Pentagon or White House.
These moves won’t reduce the cost of diesel for lowa farmers and truckers or for everyone else who pays the increased cost of shipping. Even if Russia releases the specified quantity of diesel to the U.S., it won’t occur before the mid-term elections, and, at most, it would supply 1-2 days of U.S. diesel needs.
Don’t be fooled by Trump’s promises or by the Republicans who will support everything Trump wants.
Carolyn Ashbaugh, Sac City
As a lifelong “Republican,” from a traditional conservative Iowa Republican family of well over 150 years of loyalty, I would normally be writing my Letters to the Editor, urging my fellow Iowans to vote for the principled Republicans.
Instead, I am writing you, because of your poor handling of U.S. foreign policy and your self-defeating habit of handing your crazed detractors ammunition, by fighting our best allies and hugging our mortal enemies!
It is your bull-in-a-China-shop style that is destroying voter support for sensible Republican control of Congress. Most of us will still vote Republican, as we “Never put our hand to the plow and look back,” as all that does is give us crooked furrows.
U.S. politics is already too bipolar. Please, stop making it worse! It is you who rightly gets blamed, when you listen to young hotheads, from both extremes, instead of a wise farmer and elder Statesman, like Chuck Grassley.
You are threatening conservative control of Congress, even our U.S. Senate! Iowa may even, once again, go back to having no vote, on any contentious question, with two opposing Senators canceling each other’s vote, in the U.S. Senate.
We may even get a crazed Democrat House Delegation, which will tie up Congress in constant counterproductive impeachment hearings!
If that happens, it will be your fault.
Your first term was a struggle, but more successful.
Plainly, you work better under pressure.
This term is far too close to disaster, primarily, due to JD Vance. He knows nothing about the Russian War against Ukraine, nor Ukrainians. I know them, both, Russians are too proud to admit defeat and Ukrainians will NEVER give an inch to any Russian aggression. Neither would we! Ukrainians are more MAGA, than MAGA! Ukraine fought beside the U.S. for 20 years in Afghanistan when they had no NATO obligation!
You should be building diesel refineries and buying diesel in Ukraine, NEVER from Russia, until they pull all of their troops back to Russian soil, to join NATO, on the very same day as every former SSR, guaranteeing their borders, and boxing in China!
You are helping Putin destroy Russia and hand Siberia to China! That is a certain recipe for WWIII!
But, if you “build a Golden Bridge” for Russia to retreat across, as I suggest, you can stop the war in one day! Peace will come to Earth, for 200 years. The world will love you, you will truly deserve the Nobel Peace Prize that they will give you, and Republicans will re-win the trust of the American people.
Then, it is for US to humble ourselves, before God, as our, then, second greatest Republican President, Honest Abe Lincoln said, “Let us not ponder whether God is on our side, but ever pray that we are on God’s side.”
We must remain humble and prudent with power, always listening, twice as much as we talk.
Thank you for listening, sir. May God guide your hand, calm your spirit and quiet your mouth.
As our third greatest Republican President, Teddy Roosevelt said, “Speak softly, and carry a big stick!”
Larry M. Aden, Nemaha
The DSA (Democrat Socialists of America) would like to destroy our constitutional republic. The American system is the most successful form of government in human history.
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness is the engine of creativity. Our Christian heritage teaches that our rights come from God, not the State. P. Socialists — Communists believe that the state has the solutions to all of your problems. Don’t buy what they’re selling. When socialism runs out of other peoples money, communism takes absolute power and rules by force of tyranny.
The people who lead communist revolutions can be described as unhuman. Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Pol Pot killed more than 100 million people in the 20th century during their unhuman reign of terror. P. The Democrat party is allowing DSA candidates to be elected as democrats. This is dangerous because the DSA looks like a communist group to me. If the Democrat party is aligning with the DSA, they will be crushed like communists by Americans. Help crush communists by voting for republicans on Tuesday, Nov. 3!
Harlan Grau, Newell
How many campaign ads have you seen? How many times have candidates visited your community? Have you had someone knock on your door or drop off campaign flyers? I suspect you have heard a lot about the candidates running for office. But how many commercials or presentations have you heard about a constitutional amendment to the Iowa Constitution? I would guess none.
Current law requires a simple majority to pass any bill and the signature of the governor to become law.
With this constitutional amendment, a two-thirds majority would be required to raise income taxes. This would make it almost impossible to raise income taxes. Remember, our state government is running a deficit, meaning it is spending more that it is taking in. The rainy day fund is taking up the slack, but that won’t last long and our state will either have to severely cut services or raise other taxes such as sales taxes or fees.
How can a state that is already under funding public schools, has a water quality crisis, is not funding nursing home inspections and is one of the top states for cancer rates even consider this? The answer is that this constitutional amendment benefits the wealthy the most. If you earn more, you should pay more, and not cut services for everyone else.
Unless you are not in the top 1% in income, you should vote NO on constitutional Amendment 1.
Jo Ann Sadler, Correctionville
Fall in Iowa is my favorite time of the year. Growing up on the O’Brien Century Farm north of Whittemore, I looked forward to the harvest because then we would have a little extra money. However, this harvest season there is no money. Thanks to the tariffs and wars that Trump, Hinson and the rest of the Republicans have given us, we have gas over $4 a gallon and diesel fuel over $6 a gallon, plus higher priced fertilizer and lower crop prices.
As a result of the Republicans that Iowans have voted into office, we are paying more for fuel, heating, cooling, housing, food and health care. While this is happening, they are cutting taxes for the millionaires and cutting funding for education, parks, libraries and medical care for working Iowans. Rural areas are particularly hard hit with schools and hospitals closing while the rural population is declining.
Iowans now have one of the highest cancer rates and lowest economic growth rates of any state in the country. Our schools that were once near the top in the country are now closer to the worst in the country. Many of our lakes and beaches are now so polluted that we are told to stay out of them. Our water quality is so poor that despite the state paying millions of tax dollars to clean it, we are still warned that it may be unsafe to drink.
This election, Iowans have a choice: they can continue the race to the bottom with Republicans, or they can vote for change. Iowa’s Republicans have been rubber stamps for Trump’s agenda of wars, tariffs and corruption; of alienating our allies while siding with Russia and dictators like Vladimir Putin. We need a change.
Vote for Josh Turek, Rob Sand and the rest of the Democrats who will work for a better and more affordable Iowa for all Iowans! Trump and multimillionaire Ashley Hinson and other Republicans are working for billionaires like Elon Musk, who is spending $500 million in an attempt to buy this election.
Time to rotate the crops! Vote Democratic and make Iowa better!
Kevin E. O’Brien, Davenport
I’m sure some people might think I’m crazy by the Letters to the Editor I write. But this made me feel better. My better half wrote this quote down sometime before she passed six years ago. John (Johnny Appleseed) Chapman (1774-1845) said this, “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, or glorify or vilify them but one thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they can change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do it.”
Is it crazy to want lower prices, no wars, better healthcare thru universal healthcare, no gestapo called icetapo and a balanced budget — not a crypto bubble. Imagine if all the money spent on wars (bombs, planes, missiles, ships, guns, etc.) was spent on education, housing, science, healthcare, infrastructure and public service. What a wonderful America it would be.
If we had destroyed Iran’s ability to enrich Uranium in the first week as Dump said, why are we still there almost eight months later? Is it because someone is getting richer along with the oil companies?
I’ll say it again, we have to stop this insanity. You don’t have to be crazy, just use some common sense and vote in Democrats to straighten the ship. This is the most important decision in your life. Dictator or Democracy!
Dave Haynes, Duncombe
France is becoming a failed state, rather a failed welfare state. President Macron has attempted to make some modest reforms such as increasing the retirement age, but French workers want to retire at 62 and work 35 hours a week. “Last year government spending accounted for a staggering 57% of gross domestic product-a debt to GDP of 115 %- and French education spending is above average within the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development” according to Douglas Murray, from an article in “The Free Press.” Education is termed both inadequate and expensive.
Student involved protests have morphed into far-left activists, anti-capitalists, green activists and Palestinian supporters. Fueled by the far-left Socialist Party Jean Luc Me’lenchon, rioting, looting shopkeepers and burning down buildings are their goals. Importing generations of people who have no love or loyalty for the country is a recipe for disaster, as was stated by dozens of retired generals and other high-ranking officials who warned that unless the French government got control of its immigration and integration failures that a civil war was a possibility. France has the largest Muslim population relative to its size, but this is a problem throughout Europe.
The French Revolution starting with good intentions, became a “Reign of Terror” with looting and burning homes and churches, and beheadings; killing thousands of people. Not a happy ending.
The far-right party, headed by Marine Le Pen, who may win the upcoming election by controlling borders, immigration and deportation, has no interest in reforming the welfare state, at least for the French. She wants to lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 and ramp up other welfare benefits. The opposite would be a rational solution, increase the retirement age to 67, reduce the welfare state, lower taxes and ‘dismantle restrictions on new housing, infrastructure and business, and everything else strangling the economy with red tape.’
Vic Massara, Omaha, Neb.
A popular saying defines insanity as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Republican Party candidates keep asking voters to believe the state will improve if they are elected. For the past 10 years, Iowa has had a Republican Governor and majorities in the House and Senate, but compared with other states, Iowa ranks at the bottom of most economic measures, in the bottom half for education, leads the nation in cancer cases, and has the least popular Governor in the nation, spending down reserves meant for emergencies resulting in a $1.4 billion budget deficit.
Vote for the well-qualified Democratic candidates who will bring sanity back to Iowa state government:
Bring back common sense and real solutions to the problems facing Iowans. I urge you to vote for the well-qualified Democratic candidates who will work for you!
Janie Montang, Algona
I grew up in Chicago under the first Mayor Daley: rumors of funny business at the bars on Election Day, and a mayor who walked out of press conferences when he disliked the questions. Still, I never worried that he, or Nixon, could shut down our right to vote or speak freely.
I worry now. Recently, President Trump waived most provisions of a Russia sanctions law he had just signed and announced a Russian diesel deal. In Venezuela, he says elections can wait; the oil can’t.
Democracy is fighting for its life. While Trump is unique in his praise of Putin and his apparent desire to make Russia a model, I also believe both parties have let people down between elections.
I’ll vote for candidates who state clearly that Russia is not our model, and who believe profitable oil corporations should contribute toward lowering healthcare costs. In the 1970s, oil company penalties funded heating aid and weatherization. Another way to look at this is to ask: who benefits and who pays? Should Russia benefit from Trump’s policies or should oil companies benefit from the fallout of the war and tariffs?
Many of us have little free time to write letters, can’t risk jobs to attend rallies, or are in the fields before frost. But voting and speaking out still work. For now, the power is ours.
So vote Nov. 3, then hold the winners accountable.
Ralph Rosenberg, Ames
Our Founding Fathers gave us the gift of democracy, and we must use it on Election Day. Five years ago, in 2021, a letter was dropped on my doorstep. It was a notice that a private company would like to put a dangerous CO2 pipeline on our land, which we strongly opposed. Since then, a large group of impacted landowners have pursued the various proper avenues — the Iowa Utilities Commission, the court system, and state and federal legislation to ensure that our property rights are protected and the project is not simply forced on us.
Our request is simple: we do not want Eminent Domain on the table for this private project. This is a basic constitutional right, and it has been introduced as a short, one-sentence bill that has yet to pass both chambers of the Iowa statehouse. Watching the reaction that this bill has received shows me firsthand that the candidate we vote for matters. When you are at the statehouse fighting for your Century Farm, or whatever is most important to you, you need to know the right person is there representing you.
A candidate’s position on Eminent Domain matters. It affects all Iowa property owners. Today, a private company wants our land for a CO2 pipeline, but tomorrow a different company could want your property for a yet-to-be known project.
Let’s appreciate our Founding Fathers’ gift. This election cycle, please educate yourself about where the candidates stand on this vital issue. Do not make assumptions simply based on party affiliation. Please stand with us to protect property rights and keep guardrails on the use of Eminent Domain.
Meghan M. Sloma, Arnolds Park
Midterm elections are Tuesday. Every vote will play a crucial role in what happens to our country.
Donald Trump has made many executive decisions and signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law. Ashley Hinson has supported Trump in all presidential orders and legislation. A vote for Hinson will be a vote supporting what Trump has done.
Do you support his war in Iran? In the first days of Trumps war, 175 children were killed in our air strikes. Trump failed to show any remorse in these innocent deaths. That is a clear sign of evil. Ashley Hinson has backed up Trump on seven congressional votes supporting this war. The war has greatly restricted world supplies of fuel. Prices have risen, especially for diesel fuel. This act alone has lit the fires of inflation and now we pay. Trumps Iran War has also closed off the Strait of Hormuz cutting off worldwide fertilizer shipment and driving up food costs for everyone.
Hinson supports Trumps tariff policy. Who really pays those tariffs? It is the American consumer and no one else. Tariffs against our Canadian neighbor has inflated the cost of steel, wood, and aluminum. This is totally inflationary doing harm to many businesses and American consumers. The late Ronald Reagan, a hero to Republicans, despised tariffs and spoke at length of their horrible consequences. What changed? If Hinson is such a loyal Republican, how can she support tariffs?
It’s time for change. Vote for Josh Turek. He believes in fairness for all. He does not support the Canadian tariffs. They have damaged agriculture markets and rural economy. He supports lower costs of fuel and diesel, and an end to the War in Iran. Turek believes in common sense focused on middle class and everyday affordability.
Tom Frantzen, New Hampton
Donald Trump constantly acts like a tyrannical toddler.
Trump recently called Texas Senate candidate Talarico a “Democrat communist.” At the same rally he said gas prices will come down in a “blink” of an eye.
Many Americans are still falling for our President’s big tent magic show. No need to check for evidence, or to consider whether this childish behavior is appropriate for high office.
However, Trump can be canny and grown up when he wants to. Like when he recently invited a bunch of Catholic Bishops into the Oval Office for a private prayer. The Bishops later loudly moaned the release of a photo of the event to the public because it clearly showed they had been duped by our shrewd president into making a political statement to Catholics in America.
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
THE FOLLOWING LETTERS WERE SENT AFTER PRESS DEADLINE:
As a retired teacher who taught in the Storm Lake School District for over 40 years, I’ve spent the majority of my career listening to ideas, sharing my love of learning, and uniting people by finding common ground.
Leadership starts with focusing on the needs of the people you represent and working steadily on the issues that affect their daily lives.
That’s why I’m supporting Tom Grau for Buena Vista County Supervisor. Tom is thoughtful, honest and approachable with the quality of character, education and experience that make him the most qualified candidate. Tom’s specialization in tax law while at Drake University Law School qualifies him as most capable to address the lawsuit and relations between the city and county over Tax Increment Financing. It is essential for voters to know Tom’s accomplishments throughout his 30-year career in public, private and community leadership so they can make a well-informed when voting.
Tom served as executive director of the Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission, where he spent 18-years. He was then appointed Business Development Division Administrator for the Iowa Department of Economic Development, where he pioneered the initial concepts of the Iowa Economic Development Values Fund and advised the US Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
Tom's career continued to flourish, ultimately taking him to Washington, D.C., where he served as Deputy Undersecretary to the USDA Farm and Foreign Agriculture Service. As Deputy Undersecretary, Tom provided oversight for all conservation, crop insurance, and farm loan programs. He ensured compliance with rules and regulations, managed an annual $75 billion budget, oversaw 18,500 employees, and served as the principal facilitator for the development of the $11 billion Safety Net Provision that was included in the President’s fiscal year budget submission to the US Congress.
Tom then brought his experience back to Iowa where he coordinated funding for a federal and state cooperative initiative that established multiple USDA fiber optic sites via the Iowa Communications Network.
Tom understands that county government works best when residents are heard and decisions are made with Consideration and care. He will bring a wise, experienced, practical and respectful voice to the Board of Supervisors and work hard for the people of BV County.
I encourage BV County residents to learn more about Tom Grau and support him on Election Day.
Joyce Olson, Storm Lake
Chris Jones is genuinely intent on trying to help mend Iowa to a better place than he found it under its existing polluted condition. Chris is a trained analytical scientist, a published, peer reviewed expert who spent a decade at the IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering monitoring this exact state-wide issue. He lost funding from the State Legislature because Chris published his findings regarding the high nitrate and phosphate concentrations pouring into the Mississippi and Missouri River basins thanks to the unregulated, voluntary NRSA. Jones has highlighted the benefits of organic farming methods in his featured Substack articles, entitled, "The Swine Republic." One of his contributing writers, Ms. Wendy Johnson, wrote about challenges but also the bountiful, regenerative benefits of organic farming.
The incorporation of filter strips and saturated riparian buffering zones (no less than 50 feet of wetlands) bordering the row crops along wetlands that in turn border creek and stream corridors has helped filter the groundwater aquifers before it flows directly into the tributaries and rivers. Johnson offered many innovative economic incentives to draw regenerative farmers into the market, as it has been shown to be a much more resilient method of farming while filtering the rainwater that has mixed with either manure or anhydrous fertilizer. Ultimately, regenerative farming techniques are the model of future farming that filters the water and reduces the concentration of nitrates and phosphates in the groundwater and everything downstream.
Dr. Jones also recognizes that farmers apply an excessive amount of inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen in the form of anhydrous ammonia in addition to the organic form of nitrogen in manure. Dr. Jones has pushed for mandatory riparian denitrification buffer zones, preferably saturated riparian buffer networks to significantly reduce the concentration of phosphates and nitrates that are flooding into our unfiltered aquifers, and natural waterways. Riparian buffers enable the Nitrogen Cycle to recycle nitrogen more efficiently back into the atmosphere. In this way nitrogen itself is taken up into the atmosphere again. He recommends these riparian buffer zones to create natural pollination sites so that deep rooted barrier zone indigenous prairie plant varieties can offer pollinating insects and other wildlife regions to flourish. Dr. Jones believes it is important to employ diversification of our farmland away from soybeans and corn and instead with reserve plantings of fruit and nut tree varieties. Jones suggests introducing the growing of oats, rye and cover crop rotations (e.g. wheat, barley, clover, alfalfa) while fostering regenerative farming practices in order to repair our deeply polluted state.
We need scientists like Chris Jones in leadership positions to be able to talk to the rural communities (i.e. the farmers, fertilizer suppliers, agribusiness leaders) about limiting the over application of inorganic and organic fertilizer that clearly has detrimental effects upon both the farming communities and the urban communities (e.g. Des Moines Metro). We need to demand that the legislators hammer out mandatory regulations of inorganic nitrogen (I.e. anhydrous ammonia), phosphorus and supplemental phosphorus, inorganic AFO and CAFO derived nitrogen (from urine), and organic phosphorus in the form of the six phosphate bound phytate molecule, and nitrogen (nitrogen bonded to a carbon atom) within manure applications. We need to demand from the Iowa Legislature laws that enforce regulations from Nonpoint Source and Point Source Pollution AFO/CAFOs contributors and how these nitrate and phosphate sourced pollutants can be recycled into the ecosystem through proven regenerative practices. Techniques such as incentivizing the building of mandatory riparian buffering zones forming wetland zones surrounding all waterway streams and rivers, terracing and erosion control systems to minimize phosphate and phytate sourced topsoil loss. Iowa needs to incentivize farmers to invest in bioreactors, cover crop development and the use of other regenerative farming practices that can facilitate a sustainable regenerative model. These ISU Extension proven techniques are key to turning around this environmental crisis.
Iowa’s Right to Farm Act (RTFA), the voluntary nature of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy Act (NRSA), the Senate File 512 (SF512) that codified the flawed voluntary nature of the NRSA regulations and the House File 2771 must all be repealed and replaced with mandatory Nonpoint Source Pollutant regulations to not only meet the Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force’s (MRGMHTF) 10 year goal of reducing the GMHZ, but eliminate the probability of cancer causing nitrates in its waterways. Farmers need an incentive to follow mandatory Nonpoint Source Pollutant rules for rainwater mixed manure and fertilizer discharge. Otherwise farmers should have to pay through regulated tax payments.
This amelioration requires an elected leader in his field who is trained in the quantitative water quality treatments to hash out the details with farmers in the fields through plain spoken Iowan vernacular. That leader is Dr. Chris Jones and our state’s survival of its 56 watersheds is dependent on citizens electing him as the State of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture on Nov. 3.
Bill Staplin, Des Moines
Regarding the letter to the editor by Steve King, published in the Sac Sun on Oct. 27, 2026:
When former Representative Steve King writes a letter to the editor trying to enforce an un-American “religious test” on our local election, he reminds us exactly why voters moved past his brand of divisive politics. King recently attacked District 7 Democratic candidate Rachel Burns, calling her a “self-professed atheist” who “imported herself” into our neighborhood. In doing so, he shows a fundamental disregard for the U.S. Constitution, which explicitly guarantees freedom of — and from — religion, ensuring that no personal faith can bar an American from public service.
King’s attempt to denigrate Rachel as an outsider who doesn't belong here is classic political theater, and it flies in the face of reality. You cannot call someone an outsider when they actively serve our community as a volunteer firefighter, an EMS director, and a rural healthcare professional. Rachel’s roots are planted firmly in the hard work of keeping our neighbors safe. Real neighborliness isn't measured by a political purity test; it’s measured by whether you show up for your community when the sirens go off.
It is deeply telling that Wendy Larson is relying on an endorsement from a man whose exclusionary rhetoric got him stripped of his committee assignments by his own Republican leadership before he was ultimately voted out by Iowans. If Larson believes King's divisive name-calling represents our neighborhood's values, she deeply misunderstands this district.
I am proudly voting for Rachel Burns because she listens to her District 7 neighbors, is focused on solving the real issues affecting hard-working Iowans today and knows what it means to get things done. We need public servants focused on local solutions, not politicians trafficking in the rejected tactics of our political past.
Gretchen Bromley, Lake View
Since June 13, the Democrats have kept their platform secret, contrary to past practice and the stated positions of Rob Sand supporting “accountability” and “transparency.”
The secret Iowa Democratic Party Platform was finally released by liberal website
Why secret? Democrats adopted an extremist platform which mimics the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Their platform:
The Electoral College and Senate are in the Constitution to protect small states like Iowa. The Senate and filibuster are intended to ensure thoughtful, deliberative legislation.
Other provisions:
Ban modern rifles/magazines. Mandatory expensive repetitive training courses and liability insurance for gun owners. Expanded background checks for private gun sales/purchases.
Democratic candidates should know the major demands of their party’s platform. They repudiated their moral obligation to reveal these demands to the public and their support or rejection. Silence is consent.
Now some might say, what does this have to do with the price of gas? Well, a gallon of gas will seem cheap compared to losing your form of government, losing the right to parent your child, losing your daughters privacy in the locker room shower, and losing the statutory protections provided by Republicans!
Reject Extremism! Vote Republican!
Donald Bohlken, Indianola
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