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“Democracy is only as good as the education that surrounds it.” — Socrates
Iowa used to set the gold standard for education in the United States. For many years, Iowa’s schools and students were rated #1. Sadly, that is not the case today.
There are many reasons for Iowa’s current ranking of 13th out of the 50 states, putting it behind neighboring states like Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin. In the last few years the Republican dominance of our state’s government has led to the decline in our educational system by constantly denigrating educators and schools, by gutting the collective bargaining law, waging unnecessary culture wars, banning books, dismantling the AEAs and painting dedicated professionals as having insidious motivations. These efforts have discouraged many educators from staying in the field, new teachers from entering, and resulted in serious teacher shortages.
This needs to stop! By sowing distrust and continuously underfunding our public schools, Republicans have threatened the future of our children and grandchildren!
Strong PUBLIC schools are the safeguard of a strong democracy and prosperous communities! There is a reason that the U.S. Constitution specifically provides for the separation of church and state. Religious education is the responsibility of parents and churches, not public schools. Likewise, public schools educate ALL children to participate in a democratic society, regardless of religious belief. Our public dollars need to support public education. That is what we need and what we need to consider as we vote for candidates in the Nov. 5 election. House District 9 candidate, Christian Schlaerth, is dedicated to supporting public schools!
We all want great schools for our children and grandchildren. Our future depends on it! Our democracy depends on it! Education is not the problem, it is the solution!
Mary Kae Hanson, Wesley
This just in: the GOP's aging Trumptanic has stalled at the midpoint of its final voyage and appears to be taking on water fast. Its captain has locked himself in the wheelroom and is playing his favorite golden oldiest at full volume over the loudspeakers. Many on board continue to dance frenetically while others wander the decks, glassy-eyed, as if in a daze. The shiny new U.S.S. Harris has arrived at the scene, ready to rescue passengers, but it remains unclear if those on the Trumptanic will enter the lifeboats, or if there are enough of them. Stand by for further details . . .
Jim Walters, Iowa City
Before you finalize your vote choice, carefully consider the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who worked with him and know him well.
“He is a coward.” Dick Cheney, Vice President
“He’s a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” Lindsey Graham, U.S. Senator, South Carolina
“...flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob.” James Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
“He is a con artist.” Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator, Florida
“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.” Mitt Romney, U.S. Senator, Utah
“Lying is Trump’s toxic superpower.” Rich Logis, Remorseful Ex-MAGA, Florida Co-Chair Republicans for Harris
“I cannot understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin.” Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
“Trump might be the greatest charlatan of them all.” L. Brent Bozell III, Conservative Activist
“...if there is a second time, it won’t be easy.” Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“...corroded and corrupted American democracy...” J. Michael Luttig, U.S. Circuit Judge
“I think he’s toxic for the Republican Party and for the country.” Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland
“The healing of the Republican Party cannot begin with Trump as president...” Geoff Duncan, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
“Trump relentlessly puts forth claims that simply are not true.” Ty Cobb, White House Attorney
“Literally everything I’ve tried to do on cutting drug costs, you have killed it.” Alex Azar, Secretary of Health & Human Services
“You can’t trust him.” Maryanne Trump Barry, Sister and U.S. Federal Judge
It is my hope that the Republican Party will recover from Trump. That will only happen when he is out of the picture. Vote for integrity and character. Vote for Harris and Walz.
Christine Louscher, Algona
Once again, Summit Carbon Solutions is asking landowners to sign easements without providing the landowner or the community with critical information they should know. The most critical information is the failure to disclose the consequences in the event of a rupture. Per information made public in South Dakota during the PUC permit hearings, a rupture from an 8” pipeline would create an affected zone 1855 feet wide on both sides of the pipeline where the CO2 concentration would pose an “Immediate Danger to Life and Health.” For a 20” diameter pipe the distance would increase to 2,920 feet on either side.
The easement states that Summit can go as large as 24.”
When a landowner signs the Summit easement, he is affecting more people and properties than just their own. If you are a non-landowner but within the affected zone it would be wise to contact the easement owner and ask if he has considered your safety. You should also consider the impact this would have on property values. When you sell a property, you are required by law to disclose negative items such as water in the basement to the prospective buyer. If you are in the IDLH rupture zone you would be morally required to disclose the danger the CO2 pipeline presents to the buyer. This will only reduce the value of your property.
I am a landowner in Cherokee County affected by the Summit Pipeline. I would urge landowners to fully understand all the consequences to all parties before signing.
Donald Johannsen, Potosi, Wis.
Donald Trump has a habit of stirring up hatred against whatever group of people he can bully to make himself look like a hero.
He has gone after African Americans, Muslims, Hispanic immigrants, Jews, Haitians, veterans, military brass, the City of Detroit, NATO partners, Democrats, whistleblowers in his administration, women who are not his type, Chinese perpetrators of the China flu, welfare recipients, the Central Park Five, Native Americans, abortion getters, LGBTQIA+ folks, non-MAGA Republicans, pacifists, unions, liberal protesters, the media, people who deserve to get fired, lousy golfers, you name it.
All these groups and many more have become scapegoats in Trump world to cover over the real difficulties besetting the country, which include politicians who thrive on hate to advance their careers, judges who trash the Constitution, churches that are silent when Jesus would not be, monopoly media corporations that drift in whatever direction the wind is blowing, companies offshoring manufacturing, fossil fuel fanatics, non-existent civics education in the public schools and colleges, addiction and ill health, hyper-materialism, virulent factionalism in politics, legalized sports gambling, federal pre-emption of state police powers, billionaires, Jim Crow discrimination in policing, the Citizens United court decision...
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
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